Beneath The Mask
by ShujinkoOfTime
Summary: An outcast of society, and walking a thin line where one slip up could land him in juvenile hall or worse. Akira Kurusu decides to see just how far he can dance that line.
1. A New Chapter

A/N: I was hoping to take a much longer break from writing, but here we are. After extensively playing Persona 5, I couldn't help but grow attached to these characters. Watching them struggle, form relationships, go through adversity together. I really enjoyed the game. So much so, that I had to force myself to take a break, because I felt that I was playing it too much. As great as the game is, I thought some areas were a little lacklustre, but there was also a lot left to interpretation. (Cue the inspiration.) So, I decided to do one of my own.

For those new to my work, I recommend checking out the two other stories I worked on if you want an idea for my writing style. For those returning, I appreciate the continued support.

For this fic, I wanted to focus on the relationship between Ann and Akira/Ren/Joker, etc. They're my favourite ship in the game, and I see a lot of potential with these two. I guess you could say I couldn't resist the urge to add my twist to how the two grow together, face adversity, and eventually for that bond that I fell in love with.

There is going to be some canon divergence, because a simple retelling of the game isn't my style, but I'm not going to get too crazy with it (I think) and will still follow the general story line from the game.

Two more things to note.

I will be doing this in both Joker's and Ann's point of view. Joker's thoughts will be italicized, Ann's will be bolded respectively.

Make sure to like, share, and leave a comment. As I'm sure every writer has said, they do mean a lot. On the days that I may find that lack of motivation to write. Someone commenting about something they liked, or even criticizing (In a non-toxic way) to help me be a better writer, is much appreciated.

One more thing...

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the Persona universe or its characters.

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This story is a work of fiction.

Similarities between characters or events to persons living or dead in your world are purely coincidental.

Only those who have agreed to the above have the privilege of partaking in this game.

_I agree_

...The contract has been sealed.

The world is not as it should be. It's filled with distortion, and "ruin" can no longer be avoided.

Those who oppose fate and desire change... From time to time, they were referred to as Tricksters.

You are the Trickster... Now is the time rise against the abyss of distortion.

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Sometime in the near future...

"It's gaining on us!" cried out a boyish voice.

"Can't you go any damn faster?!" shouted one of boys.

"We're not going to make it..." whimpered one of the girls.

Sensing that panic was starting to settle among the group, the leader of the bunch spoke up, "I got an idea..."

When all eyes turned to him, he was sporting his usual cocksure grin.

One of the girls was quick to protest, "Knowing you... it's probably a reckless, completely insane, stupid idea. I won't let you do this!"

"You do have a knack for theatrics though," one of the boys mused.

The whimpering girl was quick to snap, "Not helping, Fox!"

"She's right," added the girl from behind the wheel of the van. "Things are getting more unstable down here. The only choice we have is to run."

"It's not our only choice," replied the leader nonchalantly before opening the back doors of the van.

Their assailant was fast approaching, relentless in its pursuit of the band of thieves. All around it, the subway was caving in, and it would only be a matter of time before it caught up to them as well.

Unless...

"The Reaper is the one causing the subway to become unstable. Meaning-"

"Meaning, if we can somehow force it to stop chasing us, the tunnels should re-stabilize," deduced the girl with goggles.

He nodded.

The boyish voice was quick to interject, "But, Joker, we don't have the strength to fight that thing."

"I'm aware."

"Then, how do you propose we stop that thing?! And how are you sure it won't just collapse the tunnel on us if we stay and fight?! What-" the girl's eyes widened when realized what her leader's plan was. "That's suicide! There's no way you'd survive that!"

The rest of the group was quick to catch on as well.

"Are you for real?! There's no way we'd leave you behind like that! That's bullshit!" exclaimed the vulgar boy.

"Skull's right! There's no way we'd allow you to do something as reckless as that," The woman behind the wheel voiced.

And it didn't take any time for everyone to begin voicing their concerns. However, all of that came to a stop when Joker uttered three words.

"I wasn't asking."

He flashed them all a smirk, and it was a smirk they all knew too well. Before any of them could open their mouths to try and talk some sense into their leader, he had flipped off the van into the chaos behind them.

Any chance the group had to turn around to go back after him was gone when they seen their leader disappear under the rubble of the collapsed tunnel.

"JOKER!"

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The train ride to Shibuya was about as boring as it got for Akira. Not that he minded. Especially when considering recent events these past few months.

Throughout his 16 year old life, Akira has experienced luxury at its pinnacle. Seeing as how his family's net worth was around 15 billion; making him one of the richest in Japan, getting whatever he wanted was as easy as breathing. Though, he was never one to flaunt his status.

Unlike the one particular individual who changed everything that night.

It happened so quick that Akira still had trouble piecing it all together, or rather... one could say that he was hoping to forget...

He was coming home late due to an extended stay at the library. Despite all the rave about the amount of athletes, company CEO's, and other big shots residing in the area. Denenchofu was nothing more than a quiet neighbourhood where everyone kept to themselves. So, one could hardly blame Akira for giving into his curiosity when he heard shouting from down the road.

A mistake that would live with him forever.

When approaching the commotion, it became painfully obvious what was happening.

A drunk man forcing himself on a woman. And by the sounds of it, things were beginning to escalate.

Such acts of the wealthy displaying power were not uncommon with his upbringing. Akira had many times witnessed first hand what happens when the elite decide they want something. However, he was only ever the spectator. Someone that never needed to be accountable when the two opposing forces clashed. It wasn't his business after all, so why get involved? Moreover, it was made to clear to him at a very young age to not be a nuisance. Getting in the way of "business" would spell trouble, and Akira never dared test his luck when it came to his father's business.

Yet...

Despite having all the money to buy whatever he wanted, endless resources to pursue whatever he wanted, and all the power a 16 year old boy could ask for. Akira Kurusu hated his mundane life. Notwithstanding the allure wealth possesses, Akira has never once felt that he's held the reigns when it came to where he wanted to take his life. Schooling, who he associates with, diet, extra curricular activities, everything... was decided without him having a say in it. All so he could inherit the company, and follow in his father's footsteps.

Maybe that was what propelled him to take action.

"This ain't a show kid. Get lost," bellowed the drunk man sporting a goatee and wearing yellow tinted glasses.

"Help!" the harassed woman pleaded from over his shoulder.

Akira put a hand on the drunkard's shoulder, "Hey, she said-"

The man aggressively shoved him off, "Fuck-"

What happened after that? Well... the young teenage boy learned very quick what happens when he tries to think for himself.

The woman gasped when the man stumbled to the ground and smacked his forehead on the pavement.

Holding his face, he then glared at Akira, "Damn brat! I'll sue!"

Akira could only offer a blank stare after hearing those words. Which caused the corners of the drunk's mouth to curl upwards.

"You're going to learn what happens when you cross me! Incompetent fools like yourself have no place on the ship that I'll use to steer this country!"

Sirens could be heard fast approaching.

The man looked over to the woman, "When the cops come, give them this statement, 'This boy suddenly attacked me.' You'll know what happens if you don't."

She looked between Akira and drunk man a few times before becoming reduced to tears.

Two officers approached, "We received a call- Oh, it's you, sir. Your head... what happened here?" asked the assertive officer.

_Sir?_

The man dusted himself off, and turned towards the two officers, "This young man suddenly attacked me, I have the lady here as a witness. Go on, tell the good officer."

Between sobs the woman spoke, "T-This young man, s-suddenly attacked this man, and... t-that happened," she pointed to laceration on his forehead.

Akira looked over at her in disbelief.

_Did she just sell me out?!_

"Make sure you keep any mention of my name out of this. Are we clear?"

The assertive officer nodded, "Of course, sir!" He gestured to his subordinate. "Cuff him."

Before they tossed him into the police cruiser, the drunkard walked over to Akira.

"Your life is mine to take, and I'll make sure you regret ever crossing me, kid."

He then ushered the woman into his car, taking one last look back at Akira. Giving him the same sinister grin that he probably gave all the other people, before stepping on them to ascend to the top of the proverbial food chain.

Fast forward a few weeks to when his parents found out about the impending trial.

The absolute lashing he received was something he'd never forget. Beaten to a pulp by his father before being berated, and then ultimately disowned. It was made crystal clear, that Akira was no longer welcome in the family. Although, they weren't completely heartless to their only son.

Once he was proven guilty in the one-sided trial and put on probation for a year. His parents pulled some strings and moved him to a new school; since he was expelled from his old one, while sending him to live with a guardian (in accordance of the court hearing) in Yongen-Jaya. All of his expenses would be covered for the year. And as a "parting gift," they transferred him 500 million yen along with the car he got after getting his licence on his 16th birthday; a Challenger SRT Demon. He may not be part of the family anymore, but his father was adamant that he not tarnish the Kurusu name any more than he already had. These "gifts" were a means to that.

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Fast forward a few more weeks when he was eventually expelled, kicked out of the house, and disowned...

Here he was, riding the train to his new "home."

One may ask, why ride the train when you have the highest horsepower(840HP) V8 ever built?

To remain inconspicuous.

His new care taker, Sojiro Sakura, had been made aware of his situation, as well as the school staff. However, the student body was left in the dark, something he'd like to keep that way. Akira never had any friends in his old school, but everyone knew who he was because of his wealth. Something that many people tried, and failed to take advantage of. He never liked the attention to begin with, but what really pissed him off was how sinister their true desires were beneath the mask they wore. They only seen him as an object to leech off of, over an actual person. No one wanted to know what lied beneath his mask.

Since this was technically a fresh start, he wanted to remain as unostentatious as possible. Luckily, he wouldn't have to worry about his record being leaked since it's supposed to remain confidential amongst the staff. But, there was still the thing about people finding out that he had money. Rolling into school in a top of the line muscle car would definitely set off red flags, so the car would have to be limited to after school and off day use; much to his chagrin. As for any other signs he could give off... well... the plan was to not talk to anyone, and keep his head down. No one can know if he's rich if he doesn't say anything, right? And while he never tried to stand out by wearing expensive clothing or accessories. He figured it to be better safe than sorry, and ended up buying clothes that were more plain than usual.

Akira wasn't here to make friends or lasting memories. He was here, because he was paying the price for getting involved in someone else's business. All he had to do was scrape through the year, and after that would be its own set of issues. And when the time comes to face those said issues head on, he'd rather do it without carrying any baggage. Last thing he needs is getting expelled or arrested while on probation, and getting sent straight to juvenile hall.

His future was on the verge of being snuffed out, and Akira was going to do everything in his power to protect that flicker of light.

Even if that meant shutting himself out from the world.

The intercom snapped him out of reverie.

"Shibuya. This is Shibuya."

He pulled up his navigation app.

_Looks like I need to transfer to the Yongen-Jaja line._

As he made his way out onto the station square, Akira couldn't help but notice how the lively Shibuya was.

_Guess the rumours were true._

Checking the app once again, something peculiar caught his interest.

_What's this red icon on the screen? Is it some kind of ad, or maybe an app?_

When he tried swiping the mysterious icon into the trash, all it did was enlarge and freeze his phone.

_Could it be some kind of glitch with the navigation app?_

If his phone was messing up, then maybe a sign could let him know if he was heading in the right direction. However, what he found left him dumbfounded. Everyone, or rather everything was...

Frozen in time...

Was he losing his mind? Sure everything thats happened recently was still eating away at him, but-

A sudden eruption of blue flames from across the street grabbed his attention. Their sinister appearance made him feel uneasy. A feeling that only increased tenfold when he noticed something being consumed inside them, that something being... him?

Before Akira had a moment to process what had transpired, it was over. When he studied his surroundings, it seemed that he was the only one cognizant of the bizarre phenomenon.

_Maybe I really am losing my mind... All the more reason to hurry to Sakura's house._

Whatever glitch that was happening with his phone ceased as well. He quickly moved the mysterious looking app into the trash before resuming his walk to the Yongen-Jaya line.

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After what felt like hours of travelling, Akira had arrived at his destination.

Cafe Leblanc.

The doorbell hanging from above chimed when entered, earning him a peek from the man behind the counter. Seeing how he was the only one here, it was safe to assume that this was the Sojiro Sakura he was looking for.

"Right..." the manager says upon further inspection of the boy. "They did say that was today."

Coming from behind the counter he did another once over of Akira, "I was wondering what sort of unruly kid would show up, but you're the guy, Akira?"

Akira nodded.

The old man adorned a sly grin as he introduced himself, "I'm Sojiro Sakura. You'll be in my custody over the next year."


	2. The Meeting That Changed Everything

Akira was sitting on the edge of the bed of his new room; which happened to be an attic in the cafe, pondering what Sojiro said to him earlier...

"Your parents basically got rid of you for being a pain in the ass. That's what you get for sticking your nose in a matter between two adults," he had said sternly.

Hearing the old man say it stung more than it should have, but he didn't let it show.

He never let it show.

Still... he had a point, and it was a question he asked himself many times before.

What if he had minded his own business?

Akira let out an exasperated sigh as he sulked under the covers.

_No point think about this again... Hopefully this meeting with the school goes smoothly tomorrow._

Setting his alarm, he quickly succumbed to the lulls of sleep.

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When Akira woke, he wasn't in his bed, nor... anywhere... for that matter.

_What is this?_

As far the eye can see there was nothingness. Though that didn't make him feel any less uneasy about this.

The ominous fog thickening wasn't doing much to help, and what he saw when he looked down into the seemingly endless pool of water; that he was somehow able to walk on, wasn't either.

It was the same as before, just like in Shibuya. Those sinister blue flames and his reflection staring back at him.

No, this was more than a mere mirror image...

It was at that moment the "reflection" began to act on its own volition.

"What are you?" he asked as it emerged from the water.

No response.

"It's just a reflection, it's not going to respond you know! God, why do we get stuck dealing with an idiot?!" whined an unfamiliar voice.

"Now, now. Do you really have to be so rude to our guest?" another one said in a flat tone.

_Guest?_

"He's our prisoner! No one said anything about being nice to the prisoner!"

"We're running low on time."

"Hmph! Fine!"

He felt two sets of hands suddenly wrap around his ankles. When he looked down, he could see two young girls staring back at him; twins judging by their matching platinum blonde hair and yellow eyes. They both had a black eye patch with the letter "V" over one of their eyes, and a blue prison guard outfit. The one to his left sported a long braid, and wore a hat with the letters "O-Y-O-O" written across it; while the one to his right had hair buns, with her hat having "X-M-R-N" written.

_Oxymoron?_

The girl to his right bore a cheeky grin, "What? Too stunned to say anything? Well, I can't say I'm surprised."

"Is that so?" commented the other while trying to hide her smirk. "Caroline, if I recall correctly. You couldn't wait to make your grand entrance to the 'prisoner.' Isn't his lack of reaction actually bothering you?"

Caroline's cheeks flushed a deep shade of crimson, "W-What are you saying?! No I wasn't! Don't make fun of me in front of the prisoner, Justine!"

"My apologies. Are you ready to take him yet?"

She cleared her throat and nodded, "Y-Yeah, let's go already."

"We're taking you to our master."

"Master?" he asked.

"You'll see. Now shut up and be grateful we're not making you swim there yourself!" scolded Caroline.

_Swim?_

He was suddenly dragged underwater.

_Are they trying to drown me?! _

Justine giggled, "Worry not, we are not here to kill you. If that were the case, you'd already be dead. As I've said, we're taking you to our master. Now breathe. Trust me."

Akira did as instructed, and was surprised to find that she wasn't lying.

"How is this possible?"

"If I were to put it in layman's terms... You are able to do this seemingly impossible act, because you choose to do so. This is your dream."

_My dream?_

They came to a halt when they reached the bottom some time later. They were so far below sea level now, that he could feel his ears pop, on top of not being able to see a thing.

"Alright, hands out, Inmate," demanded Caroline.

Akira complied without complaint as the twins proceeded to put cuffs around his wrists and ankles, before securing them on a chain embedded in the concrete. Once he was properly restrained, eight torches suddenly lit up around him. Revealing the twins, and one other.

"Trickster, welcome to my velvet room. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," greeted the mysterious man sitting behind a desk.

Grotesque would be one way to describe this individual. A freakishly long nose, sharp-pointed ears, bloodshot eyes, an impish grin, and a near entirely receded hairline. All wrapped up in a sophisticated suit.

"Why the cuffs?" was the first question Akira asked.

The man merely chuckled, "Because you wanted to be cuffed."

_..._

He continued, "This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those bound by a 'contract' may enter."

The mention of a contract brought something within the recesses of Akira's mind, though what exactly remained a mystery.

"I am Igor, the master of this place. Remember it well. I summoned you to speak of important matters. It involves your life as well," he said while gesturing to the open chair.

Akira took his seat, not really having any other choice but to listen what the bizarre man had to say.

Igor inspected the area. There was a giant "V" engraved in the concrete, but other than that and the torches, there was only darkness surrounding them.

"Still, this is a surprise... The state of this room reflects the state of your own heart. To think such a desolate place would appear as such. You truly are nothing," he says as he continues smiling. "In the near future, there is no mistake that ruin awaits you."

"Ruin?"

"Fear not. There is a means to oppose such a fate. You must be... 'rehabilitated.' That is your only means to avoid ruin..."

"What do you mean by 'rehabilitation?'"

Whatever it was sounded like trouble.

Igor let out a hoarse laugh, "You do not need to know everything as of now. Soon enough you will come to understand. But I must ask, do you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of the world?"

Akira gave him a confused look. He didn't know what this old man was asking of him, how could he possibly answer that?

"Well, you didn't decline. Rehabilitating yourself is the only way to avoid ruin. Allow me to observe that path."

The twins moved to either side of Akira.

"I'm sure you've already acquainted yourselves, but allow me to reintroduce you. To your left is Justine; to your right, Caroline. They serve as wardens here."

"The duty of wardens is to protect inmates," spoke Justine. "We are also your collaborators... That is, if you remain obedient."

It was suddenly getting hard to breathe.

"What's... happening...?" he choked out.

Igor tapped his fingers on the desk, "Ah, it appears the night is waning... It is almost time. Take your time to slowly understand this place."

His vision was becoming blurry, his heartbeat was pounding in his ears. Was he drowning?

"We... will su- meet aga- eve-ly..."

Everything went black after that...

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Akira shot awake, completely covered in sweat.

_What the hell was that? Didn't I drown? And what about those two twins? And that old man...?_

The sound of footsteps coming up the stairs forced him to put those thoughts on the back burner .

"You're awake, good. We'll be heading to Shujin shortly," Sojiro scratched the back of his head and huffed. "I'll drive you there today, but from tomorrow on you're on your own. Understood?"

He nodded tersely.

"You got 15 minutes. I'll be waiting out front."

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When they got to the front of the school, Sojiro decided to give Akira another warning before heading inside.

"Look, I don't care about what happens to you. Just don't cause me any trouble alright?"

Akira had to fight off the urge to roll his eyes. He knew that he wasn't wanted, but the old man didn't have to keep rubbing it in every chance he got.

...

The meeting with the principle and his homeroom teacher went as he expected. Cause any problems and he's out. Already was he being treated like a nuisance.

As they were driving back, Sojiro sighed while speaking his thoughts aloud, "What a waste of my Sunday."

That made two of them.

"Just so you know, I won't hesitate to kick you out if you get yourself expelled got it?"

He nodded his acknowledgment.

"What a troublesome kid I've taken in," he groaned under his breath.

...

After they got back, Sojiro locked up for the night; since it was too late to open the store, but not before threatening Akira that he would hand him over to the cops if he found any traces of theft. This led Akira to wonder why Sojiro even bothered to take him in if he was that much of a nuisance. However, he ultimately decided to shelve the thought, and head to bed. No point in thinking about things that didn't matter.

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Akira made sure to set his alarm a little earlier than he needed for his first day of school. It was earlier than when Sojiro would arrive to prep the store, and honestly, he wasn't in the mood to get lectured or threatened again about his conduct. And just in case the old man decided to come earlier to see him off, Akira skipped breakfast just to save time and avoid him. Shelving his hands into his pockets, he headed for the station.

Navigating through the subway was easy enough, arriving at Aoyome-Itchome with plenty of time to spare.

As he emerged from the tunnel, he felt something hit his cheek. Then another, and another...

_Rain? That wasn't mentioned in the forecast._

He didn't pack an umbrella, but no matter. He still had plenty of time, so he decided to take cover under a nearby awning to wait out the sudden downpour. With this newly found downtime, he decided to people watch; finding that observing the idiosyncrasies of individuals to be somewhat relaxing.

There was one person in particular that stood out to him. They were wearing a white varsity-like fullzip hooded sweatshirt, the length having covered most of "her" short plaid skirt. Her sweatshirt had three stripes at the bottom; two blue, one red. It also had an "S" symbol on the bottom of the front left side, and a green four-leaf-clover symbol on the back of the hood. Instead of knee high socks or black leggings he'd normally see, she wore red leggings. And instead of the typical black slip on shoe most girls wore, she had laced, brown boots that nearly went halfway up her shin. Judging from her outfit, he guessed that she's someone who takes pride in how she appears, and one that is confident in her own body.

And that wasn't the only thing he noticed.

It was subtle, but there were minor things that he was able to catch. The slight slouch in her posture, the hesitancy in her step, the constant checks over her shoulder...

This wasn't something that could be written off as "it's the weather." No, she was trying to remain inconspicuous.

Which brought up an interesting question.

Why hide?

Was she depressed? Hoping not to run into someone? Or could he have been totally off about her?

Just who was she?

It wouldn't take long to find out. Akira was so lost in thought, that he hadn't noticed she was now only about a foot away glaring up at him.

Despite being caught red handed, he couldn't tear his gaze away. Something about her intrigued him, though he couldn't quite place the; what, why, and how.

The thing that caught his eye most wasn't the bushy twin tails of her platinum blonde hair, nor was it her plump lips, or even her ivory skin.

It was those cerulean orbs glistening back at him.

They were the blue that froze you in place, captivating you for even the slightest of moments. The blue that you could drown in if you weren't careful. Ones suppressing her true feelings that were begging to be released. Begging HIM for their release.

He noticed her cheeks turn a touch pink as she averted her eyes. His incessant staring was probably making her uncomfortable.

He was surprised, however, when she brought her eyes back up to his, then giving him a soft smile. It was a smile that he knew she didn't show a lot of people.

So why him?

Before he could ponder any further, a honking horn grabbed both of their attention. When the driver rolled down the window to reveal himself, Akira noticed how the girl's smile quickly turned into a subtle frown.

"Good morning. You want me to give you a ride to school?" asked the man in a sweat outfit.

There was that hesitancy from her again, and it seemed that the driver could sense it as well.

"You're gonna be late," he tried to prod.

"Um, sure, thank you," she replied before hopping in the front passenger seat.

Once again, everything about this situation seemed off. She wasn't even trying to hide the fact that she felt very uncomfortable around this individual. So, why did she get in with him then?

It wasn't any of his business at the end of the day, but...

As they drove off, he caught her gaze one last time.

He had a feeling this wouldn't be the last time he seen her...

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It was another one of those days for 16 year old Shujin student, Ann Takamaki.

**I really don't feel like going to school today.**

Yet here she was riding the train to school... She left a little earlier than usual this time, and boy was she feeling the fatigue. Still, she'd much rather deal with exhaustion over HIM.

Ever since school started last week, this individual had been showing up to her apartment offering rides to school. How he found out where she lived was beyond her, but that was besides the point. The fact that he was showing up at all creeped her out.

And that wasn't the worst of it.

It had all started around the middle of March. She was doing a modelling gig, and he happened to be in attendance. Once the shoot was over, he pulled her aside to talk privately.

"What do you need?" she asked, confused as to why he insisted on speaking with her.

It wasn't odd for teachers and students to run into each other after school hours or over the holidays, but it was odd for a teacher she's never talked to before to suddenly need to "talk."

"You really killed it out there, Ann-chan! Great job out there today!" he complimented her with an award winning smile.

She twisted one of her twin tails, the way he said her name didn't sit well with her, "O-Oh... thanks."

He shook his head and sighed, "All those boys back there were drooling over you, not even trying to hide their true feelings. It must be rough, especially when you barely get to see your parents and your only friend."

One of Ann's eyebrows cocked up, "Okay, where are you going with this? Why are you bringing up my personal life?" she snipped.

The man raised his hands, "No need to get defensive. I'm just saying that it must be hard dealing with all the stress by yourself. You must be lonely."

Her expression turned somber when she averted her gaze. She'd be lying if she said this past year or so hasn't been hard, really hard. Not only does she see her parents less than a handful of times a year; due to work, she hasn't been able to see her only friend a lot either lately. Not to mention the rumours that are always spreading around about her...

Contrary to what one may think. Ann wasn't a popular girl, not in a positive sense anyways. She didn't have any friends, no one talked to her or gave her the time of day, but she always happened to be a topic of discussion. Being a 1/4 American, a foreigner, and a natural beauty, it was always a given that she'd stand out.

If one were to sum up her life. She was a girl that had slept with a train full of guys. From older to younger, jocks to nerds, the list goes on. Of course, none of these rumours were true. Ann had never kissed a boy, nor been in a relationship. Yet ever since middle school, that's always been labelled...

"Whore."

"The Easy Girl."

"Locker room bitch."

"Takamaki slut train."

All of these names, and much much more were thrown at her on a daily basis. And Ann took all of them without saying a word. Why fight back? She knew that saying something would only make it far worse than it already was. She had learned that the hard way...

If she could just endure it... There had to be some sort of light at the end of the tunnel waiting for her, something that would make all of this suffering worth it.

There... just had to be... No one should go through this kind of torment, only to be left with ruin, right?

"Seems I nailed it on the head, huh? That's why I have a proposition for you."

She folded her arms, "A... proposition?"

He gave her a bright smile, "I want you to go out with me."

Ann nearly choked on her own spit. Did she hear that right? Someone she's never talked to before, a teacher from her school, was asking her out?

"Are you out of your mind!" she sputtered, feeling the anger boil over her at the outlandish request. "There's no way I'd ever go out with you! Where do you get off asking me that?!"

He rested a hand on her shoulder, "I had a feeling you'd say that. Listen, I have a lot of influence at the school. I can make all those rumours about you go away in a snap. I also know that you are having trouble coping with not being able to see your parents or your friend."

How could he know that? Was she that easy to read?

"It hurts my heart seeing you like this, so the least I can do is offer to help out a little bit. Since Suzui is on my volleyball team, dating me would only let you two get to hang out more. Plus, I might just be willing to pull some strings, and give her the starting position she's been working her little butt off for. Think of it as an added bonus."

Not only could she see Shiho more, but she could also help secure her a position as a starter? Ever since she's known her, Shiho has always been passionate about volleyball. Mentioning a few times that she wanted to pursue it professionally even.

And getting a letter of recommendation from a prestigious school like Shujin...

He closed the gap between them, giving her a sleazy smile before sniffing one of her twin tails.

"I'd make sure you'd never feel lonely again with all the love and attention I'd give you my sexy little kitten," his hands snaked across her body, which made Ann shiver in disgust. "See? You want it too. Think about it Ann-chan, we can help each other out here. You'd no longer have to endure all these hardships by yourself, and I get the lovely Ann Takamaki all to myself."

She should've just told him to go fuck himself. It was obvious was he was after. It was what every guy wanted when it came to her. Just a sexual outlet.

But...

He had exploited her only weakness, and they both knew it. Shiho was all she had left in this world. If she was taken away... There'd be nothing left to stop her from losing herself.

And that absolutely terrified her.

"I... I'm sorry... I-It's hard to respond to such a sudden c-confession," she managed to spit out.

Releasing her from his embrace, he upheld that obnoxious smile of his, "No worries, I understand this can be a lot to take in right now. I won't expect an honest response right now. However..."

The look he sent her ran chills down her spine.

"Don't make me wait long."

And he didn't have to. The following day, Shiho had broke into tears in front of Ann. Telling her that she might be kicked off the team, because the coach didn't think she could meet expectations.

When Ann confronted the gym teacher about this in his office, all he did was shrug nonchalantly and say, "I'm not a very patient man, Ann-chan. Now, what'll it be? Be my woman, and help out your friend? Or ruin her future and lose everything, because of your selfishness?"

"You call yourself a teacher?!" she fired back. "You bastard!"

His grew a big sleazy grin as he closed the distance between them, "I'm still waiting... Or do I need to make a bigger statement to prove that I'm not messing around? Like I said, I have a lot of influence at this school. It would be unfortunate if Suzui were suddenly forced to transfer schools because of... expulsion."

Ann's eyes grew wide in fear, "Y-You wouldn't dare!"

He crossed his arms and let out a huff, "Try me. Your friend Suzui can kiss any hopes of pursuing her dream goodbye once she's expelled. You really want to put her through that?"

She had been pushed into a corner with no where to go, no one to turn to. He was willing to take everything from her to get what he wanted, and it was clear that he had the power to do so.

Ann began shaking from being so upset. The level of powerlessness she felt was so damn frustrating that she was on the verge of tears.

"F-Fine..." her voice was barely above a whisper.

"What was that? I couldn't quite hear you."

"I'll do it... I'll... be your w-woman," she managed to choke out.

The gym teacher laughed triumphantly, "I had a feeling you'd come around. Such a caring friend you are. That's something I admire about you, willing to sacrifice yourself for the betterment of your only friend."

Ann said nothing as she dropped her gaze to the ground. The amount of shame and humiliation she felt today couldn't have gotten much worse.

Only it did...

Without any time to react, the pervy gym teacher had forcibly lifted her chin and crashed his lips onto hers.

Effectively taking her first kiss.

In her state of shock, he forced his tongue into her mouth while he began groping her. Playing with her breasts, squeezing her butt, pressing his knee against her nether region...

It took all of her energy to not pull away and vomit then and there.

**Endure it! Just endure it! This is for Shiho... This is to protect her!**

When he finally pulled away, he licked his lips and gave her a satisfied smirk, "The contract has been sealed." He gave her a light tap on the butt before heading towards the door. "I gotta head to practice. I'll see you around, Ann-chan."

After he left, it turned out Ann couldn't stomach it. She rushed towards the nearest bathroom and emptied her stomach. The tears that threatened to show earlier were now coming out in full force.

If the first few minutes were this bad, how was she going to get through the next day? The next week? A month from now? What else was he planning on doing to her? She couldn't tell Shiho about this, she'd quit the team for sure just to protect Ann. Ann truly believed that she wasn't worth it, and so refused to make Shiho give up her dream for her. Besides, this was her problem, not Shiho's.

Still, wasn't there anything she could do about this? Wasn't there any way to get him to back down?

All ideas led to the same answer.

There wasn't.

**Is my only option really putting up with his bullshit and being his "woman?"**

Ann would spend the rest of the afternoon in the bathroom stall quietly sobbing as these perverse thoughts continued to plague her. Silently suffering alone, as she's done many times before...

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Fast forward a few weeks, and here she was. The requests and advances the gym teacher was making were gradually increasing, but thankfully, thankfully... he hadn't done anything worse than some groping. After he forced himself on her to steal her first kiss, she considered herself very fortunate that things have been at least somewhat manageable. Though she didn't know how long that would last, after all, his aggressive advances were becoming too overbearing. For starters, just when classes resume, he was showing up to her house every morning offering a ride to school. It still mind boggled her how he found out where she lived, and it was one of those things she couldn't come up with an excuse to deny him. After school was different, she could say she wasn't feeling well, lie about having a shoot, at least she could come up something to weasel her way out having to be with him. But, she knew that it wasn't going to work forever. Sooner or later, he wasn't going to buy her excuses and force her to give into his demands.

The idea was absolutely revolting.

The rumours spreading around school weren't helping either. On top of the already existing rumours. People had started calling them an item, that she was his bitch. No doubt something he spread himself. Why wouldn't that asshole gloat about claiming the attractive foreign model that every guy was after as his territory?

Knowing that she was being treated as some kind of trophy made her sick.

She sighed as she stepped off the train. The day had barely started and she was already down in the dumps.

And to make things worse...

**Rain? Seriously?! Ugh... I didn't even pack an umbrella.**

Throwing on her hood, she emerged from the subway. Normally, Ann would be one to enjoy the rain, finding that it was very therapeutic. However, like many things that typically gave her joy, lately that just hasn't been the case.

**I did leave really early. I can afford to wait it out for a bit.**

Taking a few glances around to make sure that asshole wasn't by some chance following her, she headed to the nearest spot to take shelter from the rain.

She removed her hood; because it wasn't comfortable keeping her twin tails tucked away for very long, and did another quick scan of her surroundings.

**Still no sign of him-**

That was when she took notice of the person standing next to her through her peripheral.

Ann let out a small huff.

**Can't he be any more obvious with his staring?**

When she turned to face him, she was initially going to scold him for his staring. However, that idea was immediately tossed out the window when she got a good look at him.

**Shujin uniform... and he's a second year... just like me. Why have I never seen him around before?**

Maybe it was just coincidence? Or maybe she just never noticed before him until now. Ultimately, she decided not to put much thought into it.

He seemed very ordinary, nothing special at first glance. Yet, there was something about him that caused her to do a double take.

**Super messy raven coloured hair, plain circular glasses, on the skinny side... **

She allowed herself to relax a little. Nothing about him was giving her bad vibes, if anything, it was quite the opposite. Ann couldn't remember the last time a guy hadn't hit on her, bullied her, or at least tried stripping her with their eyes. However, this guy, whom she was sharing shelter from the storm with, had done none of those things.

**What's going on in that head of yours, mystery boy?**

Though, that thought would be put on hold after he adjusted his glasses, giving her a good view of his eyes. A sight that made her breath hitch.

His eyes, for a lack of a better word, were grey; though simply using the one word description wouldn't do them justice. She was struck by their coldness, how they embodied ice found in the coldest of regions. Every detail in his irises were so clear and concise. They were like a piece of art that nobody could understand, leaving everyone who stared confused, uncomprehending. The sclerae that surrounded them were pristine, untouched by red.

Just when she was about to scold him for staring too much before, here she was doing the same thing.

The thought brought a tinge of red to her cheeks as she bashfully looked away.

There wasn't a reasonable explanation for it, or any particular reason. Ann just couldn't stop herself from wanting to catch another glance of him. The man before her was an enigma that had never once been cracked, where all it took to ensnare her in a net of intrigue was one good look... She had been completely enraptured...

It brought a smile to her face.

This wasn't the smile she would use to win people's hearts over in photo shoots. Nor was it the one she would give her best friend to let her know everything was fine when it wasn't.

No, this was a genuine smile, one from the heart. One that she nearly forgot how to do.

So why him?

Before she could give the thought more consideration, and before she could even open her mouth to say something to him , a honk coming from the street grabbed both of their attention. Her smile couldn't have disappeared any faster when she realized who that car belonged to.

"Good morning. You want me to give you a ride to school?" the gym teacher asked.

**Trying to put on the good guy act in front of another student. I should've known.**

Ann wanted to say no, especially when she considered what happened just a moment ago...

She glanced over at the mysterious boy through her peripheral.

"You're gonna be late," he tried to persuade, bringing her attention back to him.

**Just my luck...**

Steeling her nerves, and putting on one of her fake smiles, she replied, "Um, sure, thank you."

Once she got in, he quickly rolled up the window and drove off. Not even offering the boy a ride.

Ann's eyes never left the raven haired boy as they drove away, not until only his silhouette remained visible. Sighing when she eventually brought her gaze towards the road ahead.

"He's a new transfer student," said the gym teacher, knowing the reason behind her sigh.

"Oh?"

It made sense why she's never seen him before then.

He continued, "I wouldn't get involved with someone like him though. Apparently, he's got a criminal record for assaulting someone. I would never be able to forgive myself if something were to happen to you."

Ann rolled her eyes at his feigned concern.

**A criminal record? He just doesn't seem like that kinda guy...**

However, she knew more than most that looks could be deceiving.

"By the way, I waited a while for you today. You should've told me that you were planning on leaving early," he said while rubbing his hand up and down her thigh.

Damnit, she needed to come up with something quick, "Oh, um... I j-just wanted to get some studying done. I haven't had much time due to my modelling job."

He cast her a sideways glance, "You know... it would be easier to just let me know when these kinds of things come up if you'd just give me your number."

She sighed; something she's noticed she's been doing a lot lately, knowing he was right, but also knowing where he was going with this. After he stole her first kiss, he had been asking for her number every day. Luckily, she had managed not to give him a real reason to have it, but now things have changed. This was a situation where the only choice Ann had was to give in to his demands. Just another thing she was forced to endure.

"Fine..." she replied meekly, taking his phone and exchanging contact info.

It only took a few seconds for her to receive a ping after she returned the phone. And it took even less time for her to groan in disgust when the first message he sent her was a picture of his dick.

He gave her a smug grin, "So, what do you think?"

"Texting and driving is dangerous."

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As the car drove off, a blonde haired boy running passed Akira yelled, "Damnit! Screw that pervy teacher!"

"Pervy... teacher...?"

A/N: To DOOT76, since you took the time to make a long comment, I thought I'd give you the reply. You'd be right that I seen similarities between the Zelink ship, and Shuann ship. I'll be honest, I'm pretty sure I like Persona 5 more than I did with Zelda. Nothing against Zelda of course, I just never realized how attached I'd get to these two.

I'm actually in that discord saved in the summary of that story you mentioned, and I have read it. Just like all stories I read, they are for my enjoyment, but also to learn and get new ideas for angles I may have never thought of. Though, I was always planning on making Joker rich, that headcannon in particular was something I always had.

I don't think I'll be giving the spotlight to other ships, simply because I don't really follow them, and I don't have enough information where I'd feel I could accurately portray them. Definitely the other characters will share the spotlight, but we'll see about other ships.

Thanks for sticking around through all the stories though, you're a real trooper.


	3. The First Day

The blonde haired boy turned towards Akira, and gave him a menacing glare, "... What do you want? You plannin' on rattin' me out to Kamoshida?"

"Kamoshida?" he muttered insensibly.

The glare quickly turned to one of confusion, "Huh? In that car right now. It was Kamoshida."

_Hmm..._

Something about this Kamoshida didn't sit well with Akira, namely, the way that girl reacted to him.

The blonde continued on with his rant, "He does whatever the hell he wants. Who does he think he is—the king of a castle? Don't you agree?"

He looked over at Akira expectingly, but all he did was shrug back, "Can't say."

"... Wait, you don't know Kamoshida? Are you for real? You're from Shujin right?"

"The uniform would suggest so."

The boy did a double take, "A second year, huh... We're in the same grade then. Never seen you before though."

Akira adjusted his glasses, "I'm new."

He nodded in understanding, "Then no wonder you don't know him." He turned his back to Akira, before saying over his shoulder. "This rain ain't too bad. We better hurry up or we'll be late."

A sudden surge of pain shot through Akira's and the young blonde's head.

"My head hurts," complained the vulgar boy.

Akira was never one to get headaches, so why now all of a sudden?

"Dammit... I wanna go home..."

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The two looked at each other, then back at the ominous looking castle, then the alley they came from, then back at each other again.

"We... didn't come the wrong way, right?" asked the bewildered blonde.

It was hard to say, since he was new to the area. But, he never recalled there being a castle in the district.

The vulgar blonde sighed, "I guess we'll just have to go and ask."

As they were walking up the drawbridge, Akira noticed that the sign at the entrance did say, "Shujin Academy."

_...Interesting..._

While his companion made his way inside, Akira remained behind to study the surrounding area some more. Obviously something was off, and the fact that he had little to no information wasn't sitting well with him.

He roamed about the courtyard some more in hopes of finding answers.

_This all looks genuine, but maybe that's the intention. For it to "look" real. If I had one word to describe this place, I'd say it's... distorted... _

There wasn't any truth to this theory, but if that encounter with the twins and Igor taught him anything; not to mention his arrest. It's that anything can happen within the realm of possibilities.

Veering around the corner just off from the main entrance, Akira found a fountain that stretched dozens of feet to the other side of the castle. Where in the centre of it, stood a pomp, grandeur statue of Kamoshida.

_Why would there be a statue of him here?_

Once he reached the other side, three paths branched off from the fountain. To his left, the path circled back to the entrance. To his right, was a place called the training grounds. And, the path down the middle looked like it led into some kind of garden; judging from the overgrown vegetation.

After doing a coin toss to determine which path he should take, he soon found himself inside the garden. Though, Akira came to quickly realize that this was no ordinary garden. Hedges that reached over 8 feet high, an eerie fog that was mysteriously pink, and once again, three paths for him to choose from.

_A maze, huh? Well, no point in turning back now. I'll take this challenge._

While Akira contemplated which path to take, something about the paths caught his attention.

_Roses?_

All of the hedges were laced with roses, and only roses. The only difference being, that each had path had only one colour of rose designated to it. His left, purple roses; down the middle, deep scarlet; and to the right, burgundy. Unfortunately, that still wasn't enough information for him. Just because he knew what each flower represented, doesn't mean he had any more context to work with. There had to be something he was missing.

Suddenly, an unfamiliar feminine voice echoed throughout the maze.

"I cannot be bought, but I can be stolen with one glance. I'm worthless to one but priceless to two. What am I?"

_A riddle?_

...

_Ah, I see... This is how it works._

As he headed down the centre path, he could hear the mysterious voice giggle in delight.

_So, she's not just some automated voice._

All the more reason for him to clear this maze. He hasn't seen a soul since coming here, whatever lied at the end surely had to give some clarity to this... situation.

When he got to the next clearing, the same three options were presented before him.

The woman's voice spoke again, "I move very slowly at an imperceptible rate, although I take my time, I am never late. I accompany life, and survive past demise, I am viewed with esteem in many women's eyes. What am I?"

...

He headed down the path with the burgundy roses, earning him another amused giggle.

Once he got to the third clearing, he noticed that there weren't anymore paths to take.

_Oh? I was confident that-_

Before he had time to react, he was surrounded by a ring of fire, with wall spikes converging on him from either side.

"Third riddle, and you better be quick," she quipped. "There is a word in the English language in which the first two letters signify a male, the first three letters signify a female, the first four signify a great man, and the whole word, a great woman. What is the word?"

Akira remained unfazed by the rapidly encroaching death trap as he considered the riddle.

...

...

"Heroine..." he answered apathetically.

The spiked walls stopped just mere inches from him.

"Oooh! You sure cut it close there frizzy hair, you even had me worried for a second!" the woman admitted before the death traps disappeared.

The fog thinned out as well, revealing a hidden passage at the castle wall.

"Don't keep me waiting," she cooed, before the hidden path opened itself to him.

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Upon entering the passage, the fog once again thickened, to the point where he couldn't even see his hands in front of him. Still, he trudged through in the face of uncertainty. He had come this far, there was no point in regretting it now.

After a few minutes of walking, the fog completely dispersed this time. Revealing a massive balcony pool that overlooked all of the district.

_How did I get this high up? I didn't walk that far._

When his eyes made their way over to the edge of the pool, he noticed a woman leaning against the edge of the glass with his back turned to him.

_Bushy twin tales, platinum blonde hair, ivory skin... It's that girl. What's she doing here?_

Right on cue, she turned towards him, "I've been waiting for you."

"So it would seem."

The woman giggled as she sauntered towards him, "So serious. Don't you ever relax?"

Akira dodged the question, there were more important matters to discuss, "Why are you here? Do you know what this place is?"

She waggled her finger at him, "Ah, ah, ah! There's one last riddle I need you to solve first. One that'll prove your worth to me."

_Prove my worth?_

When she began emerging from the water, Akira couldn't help noticing how little she was leaving to the imagination. A white, two piece swimsuit that was partially see through.

"You aren't shy," he commented while pinching the front of his bangs.

She draped her arms around him, whispering into his ear teasingly, "Does it make you nervous?"

"No."

The woman leaned back and pouted at him, "What? Are you saying you don't think I'm attractive?"

"I'm saying that something doesn't seem right."

She sighed, averting her gaze for a moment to recompose herself.

_Seems like my deduction was correct._

"Before we go any further... answer me this final riddle. Only then, will I answer your questions."

He nodded his acknowledgment.

"I can fill a room or just one heart. Others may have me but I can not be shared. What am I?"

It only took Akira a second to answer her, her eyes giving her away. Just like they did when he first saw them, "Loneliness."

And it only took a second for the platinum blonde to confirm his answer. The kiss was desperate, impassioned... like this was something she had been waiting for, longing for.

Yet, there was this... emptiness.

Why?

Breaking the kiss, the woman cupped the back of his head and placed his chin on her shoulder, whispering in his ear, "You're the first to make it here. Even the master of this castle hasn't managed to find a way into this place, yet."

"Oh?"

She leaned back once again, with her fingers interlocked behind his neck, "This place is not what you think. It is the manifestation of one's distorted desires."

"How is that possible?"

"That's like asking how rain falls, wind blows."

The gears began turning in Akira's head, trying to piece this all together, "So, this is the school correct?"

"Yes."

"And the school has become a castle, because of the strong distorted desires this ruler has?"

She nodded.

That only confirmed what she already told him, he needed to think outside the box here.

"Are you that same girl I met in the rain?"

She shook her head.

And there it was.

"I'm only the cognitive version of the girl you're thinking of, according to what this ruler thinks of me."

"Does that explain the outfit, and the attitude?"

"The outfit, yes; the attitude, to an extent. Again, it's how this ruler interprets me. There are some things that he'll always have a firm belief on, and there are other things that change when his cognition changes."

"In other words, when he saw us in the rain..."

She nodded and smiled, "You're a quick study! It's just as you've guessed, his cognition of me changed when he witnessed our interaction."

"In what way?"

She gave him a peck on the cheek, "A girl's gotta keep some secrets, Frizzy hair."

"I see..."

He still didn't have enough information.

"You mentioned earlier that he hasn't managed to make it here, yet. What did you mean by that?"

The blonde frowned, "He's been trying to find a way up here, you know, Kamoshida. I've managed to maintain my defences so far, but it's only a matter of time until he breaks through," Her frown deepened. "I don't have much time left. Once I'm his, I'll be beyond salvation."

_I understand it now. Kamoshida views her as a prize to be won, but since he hasn't "won" her yet, this is what his cognition came up with. A prize waiting to be won._

There was more, much more that he wanted to ask her. But his vision suddenly became blurry. The headache from earlier coming back with a vengeance.

_What's... happening...?_

He stumbled backwards, and fell on his back.

As his world rapidly grew darker, he heard a voice, her voice, softly speaking to him before he lost consciousness, "Put an end to his tyranny... Please..."

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"Dude... dude...! C'mon! Wake up!"

Akira stirred awake, finding himself in a cell with the vulgar boy from earlier.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked.

Akira nodded back at the blonde.

He banged against the cell door, "Damnit, where are we?! Is this some kind of TV set...?"

_Last thing I remember was-_

The blonde woman flashed through his mind.

Akira recalled the conversation they had. There were still a lot of gaps left to be filled, but from what he gathered...

He was in an entirely different world.

The thought sounded completely ludicrous aloud, however, considering what he's been through so far. Thinking illogically led to the most logical conclusion.

_How did we enter this bizarre world? More importantly, how do we get out? And what did she mean by, "Put an end to his tyranny?" _

Akira wouldn't get much time to think about it, as three guards promptly approached the cell.

"Be glad that your punishment has been decided upon," one of the guards said. "Your charge is 'unlawful entry.' Thus, you will be sentenced to death."

The blonde looked at Akira in disbelief, "Say what?!"

"No one's allowed to do as they please in my castle," beckoned a familiar voice.

When the voice revealed itself from behind the armed guards, the vulgar boy's expression turned into complete shock, "Huh? Wait... Is that you, Kamoshida?"

_The gym teacher?_

He wasn't wearing the sweat outfit from earlier. Instead, he had a pink speedo on, a cape with hearts all over it, and a small gold crown atop his head.

"I thought it was just some petty thief, but to think that it'd turn out to be you, Sakamoto..." he gave Sakamoto a sly grin. "Are you trying to disobey me again? It looks like you haven't learned your lesson at all, huh?"

"This ain't funny, you asshole!" the blonde spat back.

"Is that how you speak to a king? It seems you don't understand the position you're in at all. Not only did you sneak into my castle, you committed the crime of insulting me—the king," Kamoshida's wicked grin only grew. "The punishment for that is death."

The guards opened the cell and surrounded the two boys.

"I ain't down for this shit!" yelled Sakamoto trying to run past the guards. "Trying" being the keyword as he was immediately smacked to the ground by the hilt of a blade.

"Hmph, pathetic scum isn't worth my time..." complained Kamoshida before gesturing two of the guards to pick up the vulgar blonde. "I suppose you'll just have to pay for that before your execution."

Akira could only watch as Kamoshida beat Sakamoto to a pulp. He didn't know what to do in this situation. These guards were armed to the teeth, and they weren't messing around. One false move would lead to death, and a stupid one at that.

_Then again... we're dead either way if we do nothing._

That was when an unknown feminine voice called to him, "This is truly an unjust game... Your chances of winning are almost none. But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you..."

Sakamoto was lifted to his knees, his head hung, the will to fight back completely extinguished. One of the guards drew its sword, preparing to execute him.

"What's the matter...?" asked a deep voice that Akira couldn't recognize. "Are you simply going to watch? Are you forsaking him to save yourself?"

He was right. The reason for Akira's hesitation stemmed from the moment he got arrested.

_Last time I got involved, I lost everything. _

"Death awaits him if you do nothing. Was your previous decision a mistake then?"

It was a question he had been asking himself for months. One that haunted him each and every night. One that he found himself asking once again.

_Damnit! It didn't matter what I did! The end result was always going to be the same! _

"Was it a mistake then?"

...

_It wasn't..._

As much as he wanted to believe that intervening was a mistake, he truly felt that he was doing the right thing. He may have handled it poorly, but his intentions were in the right place.

"Very well... I have heeded your resolve."

His head suddenly began to scream in pain.

"Vow to me," demanded the sinister voice.

The pain was so unbearable that Akira wanted to pass out, however, something was keeping him from blacking out like last time. Forcing him to go through this.

"I am thou, thou art I... Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice! Call upon thy name, and release thy rage!"

An image of a blacked winged, masked demon flashed through his mind before all the pain subsided. Turning into pure, unabashed rage.

"Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!"

"Execute him!" ordered Kamoshida.

"That's enough!" Akira retorted.

The self proclaiming king looked at Akira in surprise, "What was that...? You wish to be killed that much?"

One of the guards smacked him in the head, knocking off his glasses, though they were quickly replaced by a birdlike domino mask.

It was then, that everything became clear to Akira. The voice inside his head, why he got arrested, and why he was no longer going to be hesitant embracing his true self.

He gave Kamoshida a cocksure grin before tearing off the mask.

The mysterious voice let out a sinister laugh as his body became engulfed in blue flames while his eyes glowed gold. It was the same scene he had seen in Shibuya, and inside that mysterious dream. His attire changed from that of his school uniform, to that of a three piece suit. Which consisted of; a black sweeping trench coat, a grey high-necked waist coat with gold accents, and black pants that tapered at the ankles. Tied together with brown winklepickers, and red gloves. Giving him the ultimate look of a gentleman thief.

Akira then flicked his wrists, causing a heavy gust of wind to blow away Kamoshida and the guards. Revealing his true nature.

"I am the pillager of twilight—'Arsene'!"

_This power... I've never felt anything like it! It feels fucking fantastic!_

He looked over at Sakamoto, whose mouth hung agape, "W-What the..."

Arsene moved to Akira's side, "I am the rebel soul that resides within you. If you so desire, I shall consider granting you the power to break through this crisis."

Akira faced his other self with renewed vigour, "Give me your power."

The rebel soul let out an amused chuckle, "Hmph... Very well."

"Guards!" squealed Kamoshida from the cell entrance.

Two more guards appeared in front of their king before he disappeared down the hall.

Arsene took position behind him, "Detest the enemies before you! Change that animosity into power... and unleash it! This power of mine is yours! Kill them however you want. Run wild to your heart's content!"

No longer was Akira going to let himself acquiesce to the hand he'd been dealt.

Readying his dagger, he stared down the two guards. The power surging within letting him know that he wasn't alone in this battle. It was weird, he had just discovered Arsene, yet it felt like he knew everything about him already. Who he was, the life he lived, the bond they share, the power they share...

"Eiha!" Akira shouted while snapping his fingers. Which sent a small, flickering black flame; that stemmed from his fingertips, towards one of the guard's.

"Ha!" The guard laughed as the tiny flame made its way over. "You think this will-"

Mockery would quickly be replaced by hysterical screaming. That small little flame would erupt into a raging fury of black and red. Which completely engulfed, and melted the guard in a devastating attack of curse magic.

While the other guard was looking over at the pile of ash in utter disbelief, he failed to notice the dagger coming for his throat until it was far too late.

"What was that just now?" asked Sakamoto, his expression from earlier remaining very much the same.

"That's not important. We need to get out of here."

"Are you for real?! That was-"

"Not. Important."

"R-Right."

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The underground dungeon felt more like labyrinth to navigate through. However, in between the hiding, fighting, and more hiding, they encountered some monster cat named, Morgana. Who claimed to know the way out, and offered them his aid in exchange for freedom. Both boys were hesitant to accept help from a talking cat, but they also realized that they needed all the help they could get. Resulting them in reluctantly taking his offer.

The supercilious attitude aside, Morgana proved to be quite dependable. He knew things about this other world—The Metaverse—which added some clarity to this otherwise bizarre situation. On top of being able to fight like Akira. Sakamoto was still skeptical, but Akira chose to believe the cat. Especially when some of things he said, were in line with what that woman told him.

After all, thinking illogically led to logical conclusions.

Luckily, the three managed to make it to the entrance with relative ease.

"Seriously, we're finally gettin' outta here...!" cheered Sakamoto.

Morgana stopped at the drawbridge, earning a confused look from the two boys.

"There's still something I have to do here. We're going our separate ways."

"Don't get caught again," Akira quipped.

"Heh, you better be careful too. See ya."

The two boys ran towards the spot where they got in, however, Akira came to a stop when he heard his phone randomly go off.

"Returning to the real world. Welcome back," the navi said.

_The real world? _

He pulled out his phone, which revealed that same app he tried deleting several times already, open. But what really grabbed his attention, was the recent bookmark.

_Kamoshida's Castle of Lust? _

If what the mysterious app said was true, then that meant...

When he turned back towards the castle, it only confirmed his suspicions.

_We're back at school._

"Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in," said a familiar voice from atop the stairs. "You're incredibly late."

Looking down at Akira was none other than the man who tried to kill him.

The tension between the two was palpable as Kamoshida continued speaking.

"I'm sure you've heard from the principal, but cause any trouble and you'll be expelled. Understand?"

Akira's lack of response only seemed to agitate Kamoshida further.

"Is that how you act towards a teacher? You really don't seem to care about your future, do you, Kurusu?"

He wasn't falling for such obvious bait.

The gym teacher seemed to realize this too, and ultimately relented, "At any rate, hurry up and go to the faculty office. I'm sure Ms. Kawakami's tired of waiting."

While Akira was walking past Kamoshida, the teacher gave him his medal winning smile, "Good luck trying to enjoy your new school life."

Upon entering the school, he was quick to notice the glowers and whispers thrown his way by the other students. Not even 5 minutes in, and things were already going downhill.

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"...Well, I'd like to introduce a new transfer student: Akira Kurusu. Today, we... had him attend from the afternoon on since he wasn't feeling well. All right, please say something to the class," said Ms. Kawakami.

Akira didn't say anything, as his eyes were locked with another's at the far end of the class.

_That girl..._

Boy was she glaring daggers at him. She had to have known that Kawakami was lying, they had met in the rain earlier today on the way to school. Though, that didn't explain why she seemed so upset with him.

"He seems quiet... but I bet when he loses it..." whispered a prim female student.

"I mean, he was arrested for assault, right...?" murmured a girl in the back.

Before things could get any more awkward, Kawakami spoke up, "...Uhh, so... Your seat will be... Hmm..." she pointed towards the back corner near the window. "Over there. The one that's open. Sorry, but can the people nearby share their textbooks with him for today?"

Akira shelved his hands into his pockets and headed to his seat, which happened to be right behind the same blonde haired girl that had burned a hole through him earlier with her intense glare.

"...Lies," she said in a harsh, hushed tone before glancing back out the window.

When Akira got to his seat, it seemed that their little interaction didn't go unnoticed by the people sitting next to them.

"...Did you catch that? Do those two know each other? Does that mean he hit on her before transferring here?" gossiped the brown haired girl to her friend behind her.

"That means she's cheating on him with Mr. Kamoshida. Then again, this is Takamaki we're talking about..." her friend whispered back.

He wanted to laugh out loud. How they came to that conclusion was beyond him, but it didn't matter. People could say what they want about him.

His gaze shifted towards the window as he reflected on everything that transpired in that weird castle. Though it was short-lived, as his attention was soon brought to the pair of cerulean orbs staring at him through the window's reflection. Her expression had softened, turning into the one that had him mesmerized back in the rain.

_Takamaki, huh... _

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Ann just couldn't get that guy out of her head. All morning her mind kept going back to that encounter in the rain. Taking in every detail about him, and what could've happened if Kamoshida didn't intervene. Though, even if she did want to forget about him, she couldn't because of all the gossip. He was all anyone could talk about today.

**Apparently, he's a smoker, does drugs, carries concealed weapons, sleeps with all sorts of women... Takes after his dad as an abuser. That he almost killed someone in his assault case...**

There was a seemingly endless list of wrongdoings he'd done. He sounded like the absolute scum of the Earth, but...

**He just doesn't seem like that kind of guy.**

When lunch break came around there was still no sign of the mystery boy, so she decided to spend it by looking for him. She wanted to know how he was adjusting on his first day, if he needed anything to help with the transition to a new school, what class he was in... But most of all, there was something that she's been wanting to know ever since she first stared into those silver eyes of his...

His name.

Unfortunately, her search ended up being fruitless.

**I'm sure he was wearing a Shujin uniform...**

As Ann was passing by the faculty office back to class, she happened to overhear an interesting conversation.

"Being over half a day late on your first day...? Can you explain yourself?"

**Ms. Kawakami?**

She peeked through the small opening of the partially opened door. Kawakami was at her desk, and standing beside her...

**It's him!**

He muttered something to her, something Ann's ears were straining but failed to hear. Though whatever it was, it wasn't received well by her homeroom teacher.

"Will you pull yourself together?" scolded Kawakami. "You were given fair warning yesterday."

**Fair warning? What does that mean?**

"...Anyway, break's almost over. Classes will end after fifth period today because of the subway incident. I'll have you introduce yourself when class resumes. Follow me."

Ann took that as her cue to leave.

...

While waiting for Kawakami to return with the mystery boy, Ann mused to herself.

**Who would've thought he'd be in my class. Still, why is he so late? **

When Kawakami explained said reason, Ann couldn't stop herself from glowering at Akira.

**He's hiding something.**

It was a complete lie, and a poorly constructed one at that. There wasn't any other explanation for it.

And for whatever reason, not knowing that made her angry.

**Why would he need to lie?**

The longer she tried to come up with an answer, the more it irritated her, and the harsher her glare got.

"...Over there. The one that's open. Sorry, but can the people nearby share their textbooks with him for today?"

Not only was he in the same class, but seated behind her too? What were the odds?

"...Lies," she whispered to him sharply as he passed by her desk.

It was a heat of the moment thing, and now it was something she was internally chastising herself for once she heard the gossip mongers talk about them, specifically him, with her little comment. Ann wasn't trying to make his life harder, she knew more than anyone how tough school life can be once you're labeled.

Not her finest moment.

She watched his profile through the reflection in the window, and sighed deeply.

**I should talk to him after class. I want to know why he lied about being late today. ...I need to know if he's doing okay. He seems... lonely.**

A thought that tore at her heartstrings. She knew all too well how it felt to be lonely, and how taxing it was to deal with.

That was when she noticed that he had locked eyes with her through the reflection. Her expression softened as they re-enacted the scene from earlier.

**Akira Kurusu, huh...**

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Class had ended for the day, and Ann was ready to put her plan into action.

**All I need to do is get him alone and- **

She only took her eyes off him for 5 seconds, and he was gone. Ann began frantically swivelling in her desk to catch any sign of him.

**There! **

He was standing just outside the doorway, which only served to confuse her.

Before she could approach him, she heard voices coming from the hall, causing her to back down.

"Why did you allow a student like him to transfer here? He's already started associating with Sakamoto. A student with a criminal record, and the culprit of an assault case..."

Ann's expression turned solemn.

**Kamoshida...**

The teacher continued, "At this rate, it'd be pointless how much I contribute to the school."

"Now don't be like that... This school counts on you, Kamoshida. You are our star. Still, a steady build-up is necessary behind such brilliance as well."

Hearing the principal stroke Kamoshida's ego made her sick. How could he allow a member of staff to openly talk down about a student like that?

She looked over to Akira, who appeared to be completely impassive.

**I'm amazed he can keep a level head after hearing this.**

"...Your troubles never seem to end, do they, Principal Kobayakawa? All right, I understand. I'll continue to do my best to answer your expectations of me."

The two had finished their loud conversation, finally giving Ann the chance to talk to Akira.

Or so she thought.

**Gone again?! He was right there a second ago!**

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Akira had gone to bed early once he got back to the cafe. He was drained after today, so drained that he almost fell asleep when Sojiro was lecturing him once again. Something about taking life more seriously, threatening to kick him out, blah blah blah...

If the old man wanted to carry an actual conversation, Akira would be all ears. However, all he liked to do was run his mouth. At this point, he figured that Sojiro just enjoyed kicking him while he was down.

In hindsight though, it was quite the day. Not quite how he imagined the first day of school going.

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When Akira woke, he found himself back in the underwater velvet room.

"...About time you've come to," huffed Caroline.

"Our master wishes to speak with you. It's for your own sake that you take his words to heart," said Justine.

Igor chuckled, "First off, let us celebrate our reunion," he looked pleasantly surprised. "Oh...? You've awakened to your powers. And special ones at that. Your rehabilitation can finally begin."

"Rehabilitation?" questioned Akira.

"There is no need to understand it all for the time being. You will be training the power of Persona, which you have awakened to. I have high expectations of you."

The ambiguous answer he received only made him question the legitimacy of this "Rehabilitation" even more.

"By the by... have you come to appreciate the Metaverse Navigator? Using it will allow you to come and go between reality and Palaces. ...I bestowed it upon you as a means to train you as a thief."

_He must be referring to that app. Damnit... Was Sakamoto and I running into that Palace a calculated move by Igor?_

Caroline was quick to defend her master's words, "The Metaverse Navigator is a gift from our master! You better take care in using it, Inmate!"

"Devote yourself to your training so that you may become a fine thief," added Justine.

Igor shook his head, "It must be disheartening to make use of the Metaverse Navigator alone. Should there be others who would prove beneficial to you, I will grant it to them as well. This is all for you to grow as a most excellent thief..."

_Why would I want to drag someone else into the Metaverse? Why would I want to go back into that bizarre world in the first place_ _?_

As amazing as it was to awaken to his Persona, there wasn't any point in going back there. Sure the cognitive Takamaki asked him to stop Kamoshida, but he was under no obligation to do that. Furthermore, what would kicking the ass of some other version of Kamoshida accomplish? Sure, it would be a great stress reliever, but at the end of the day he'd just be wasting his time.

"Hmph, it's time. Go back and enjoy whatever rest you might have..." said Caroline.

It suddenly became hard to breathe.

_Not... again..._

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Akira had come to the conclusion that drowning each time he got sent back from the Velvet Room, was not an awesome experience.

_Still, what Igor said... _

"Hey, new kid!" his new social studies teacher's yelling snapped him out of his reverie. "The Greek philosopher Plato divided the human soul into three parts. A soul is composed of appetite, spirit, and what else?"

"Logic," he replied lackadaisically.

The teacher huffed at how easily he answered the question, but gave him an approving nod nonetheless, "So you knew that, huh?"

As he continued on with his lecture, Ann looked over at Akira through her peripheral.

**I won't let you run off again today. I need to know why you lied the other day.**

She had a plan to ambush him at the school entrance as soon as classes were done, no way was she losing him this time!

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She had lost him again...

Ann had concocted the perfect plan, only to stand there like an idiot for 20 minutes for him to be no where in sight.

She mused to herself when she went back inside to gather the last of her things before heading home, back to the drawing board.

**How can one guy be so elusive?**

"Hey there, Takamaki."

**And how can one guy be so obnoxious?**

Ann sighed when she turned to face Kamoshida, "What is it?"

"Just wondering if you were looking for a ride home. Things have been pretty dangerous lately with all those accidents."

**Putting on that good guy act again. God it makes me sick!**

She needed to come up with an excuse quick, "Sorry, I have photoshoot today. It's for the special summer issue, so I can't afford to miss it..."

He gave her a disheartened look, "Hey, now... Being a model's fine and dandy, but don't work your pretty little self to the bone. You mentioned you weren't feeling well, right? Something about appendicitis?"

Ann winced when he said that. She had trouble coming up with an excuse to blow him off the other day when he asked to hang out after school, and blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Y-Yes. I keep planning on going to the hospital, but I've been too busy lately... Sorry to worry you."

"You must be lonely too. I feel bad for keeping your best friend at practice so often."

Kamoshida knew exactly where to twist the knife. Damn him.

"That's why I asked you out in the first place," he then gave her a stern look. "Oh, and... be careful around that transfer student. He's got a criminal record, after all. If something were to happen to you..."

Just how much does this creep keep tabs on her? Or was it that obvious that Akira has been on her mind since yesterday morning?

"...Thank you," she replied sheepishly. "Please excuse me."

Ann decided that it was best to have no detours on the way home today. Just that small interaction with Kamoshida was enough to drain the energy out of her for the day.

Ann headed for the exit while Kamoshida returned to his office grumbling to himself. Unbeknownst to either of them, that a certain raven haired boy had eavesdropped the entire conversation.

He recalled the conversation he had with her cognitive version.

"I don't have much time left. Once I'm his, I'll be beyond salvation..."

_What can I do to help her though? This doesn't seem like a problem I can help with._

A thought that stuck with him all the way to the entrance of the school, where he seen a familiar blonde haired boy leaning against the gate, obviously waiting for someone; who he presumed to be him.

Akira sighed.

_What does he want now...?_

A/N: To anon92, cause of the big review, I decided to answer your questions. Which luckily, can all be answered with a simple sentence. Wait and see.


	4. Being A Reckless Idiot

A/N:Since it's appeared in this chapter, I'll explain it now. Texting, I'll have the person's name, then a colon.

Ie.

Ann: Blah, Blah, Blah

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Ryuji Sakamoto... he had a good heart, but didn't know when to back off for his own good. He should've known that he would beg Akira to help him go back to that castle. A request that came literally the day after he decided never to go back there again. Why Ryuji wanted to go back when he almost got killed completely baffled Akira. On top of having, once again, no real reason to return. Going into some different dimension just to get killed didn't sound like a good way to spend a Tuesday afternoon.

Yet, here they were at the castle gates.

_Why did I let myself get dragged into this...?_

"We made it back!" cheered Ryuji.

"Why are you excited? Weren't you almost killed the other day?" said a voice from just beyond the gate.

Ryuji pointed towards the familiar cat accusingly when he revealed himself, "You?!"

"The Shadows started acting up, so I came here wondering what it could be... To think you guys would come back to the entrance when you barely managed to escape."

Akira shared the same sentiment.

"What is this place? ...Is it the school?"

Morgana nodded, "That's right."

"But it's a castle!"

"This castle IS the school."

Ryuji kicked at the ground in frustration, "Explain it in a way that makes sense!"

The cat shook his head, "I shouldn't have expected a moron to get it..."

"What'd you say!?"

Akira had enough of this back and forth, "We're here to investigate."

"Oh?" Morgana's ears perked in interest. "Investigating what?"

"What caused the distortion."

Ryuji nodded in assent, "We saw other guys held captive here yesterday... I'm pretty sure they're from our school. Which is bullshit! You hear me, Kamoshida!?"

"It seems you have your reasons..."

"Hey, Monamona."

The cat's ears went flat as he gave Ryuji a side glance, "It's Morgana!"

The blonde shrugged and continued, "Do you know where those guys are being held?"

"You want me to take you to them?" He then rubbed a paw under his chin. "...Well, I guess I could guide you there. But only if he comes with us," he said while pointing at Akira.

_Seriously...?_

The silence lingered until it became awkward. Ryuji was staring at the ground, obviously struggling to find something say, while Morgana was looking over at Akira expectingly.

...

The cat was the first to break the silence, "I just want to get a better look of your powers."

He raised an eyebrow at Morgana's statement.

_Oh? _

Unless Morgana was wanting to know out of innocent curiosity, there could be only one other reason why he'd want to see what Akira was made of.

That reason piqued his own interest.

Akira shrugged, "Let's get this over with."

Morgana smiled, "It's settled then."

Ryuji looked surprised but relieved at the same time, "For real?! ...Thanks man."

"All right, let's do this. Follow me!"

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Morgana had once again put his navigator skills to good use. It made the trip back down into the dungeon far less tedious and dangerous. The enemies were easy enough to take care of, something that seemed to be much to the surprise of Morgana.

"You seem to have a knack for this," he commented after another successful stealth takedown.

Akira shrugged nonchalantly in reply. It was a pretty simple formula. Just like a stealth video game; a pproach an enemy from behind without being noticed, ambush them, and always go for the quick, clean kill.

"Man, we've been at this for a while. Can't we take a break?" groaned Ryuji.

"How can you be feeling tired if all you've been doing is watching?" the cat quipped.

"Shuddup! I don't have super cool powers like you guys."

"All the more reason why YOU shouldn't be tired," Morgana sighed. "But... I guess I should explain safe rooms now rather than later."

He then led them inside one of the rooms that had a haze around it.

"There's a lack of distortion here, meaning the ruler's control over the area is weak."

The room shifted from that of a small castle lounge, to that of an empty classroom, then back to the castle lounge again.

"What is this, a comic book? This is seriously crazy..." said Ryuji.

"If we're gonna keep going, we should hurry along," Morgana shifted his gaze to Akira. "I'll be counting on your skills too, rookie. Got it?"

He replied with a terse nod.

Ryuji sighed, "Dude... do you ever speak? Anyways, I got something that might help, so..." he pulled out a gun from his blazer pocket.

It was clearly a toy gun, some obvious telltale signs, but Akira had to admit that it was good craftsmanship.

_It almost looks real, but still, why?_

He gave Ryuji an accusatory glance.

"I thought it could at least fake 'em out. I brought some medicine too. You know what they say: 'Providin' is pre... something.' Huh? Huh?"

Morgana seemed to share the same thought as Akira, "So you were planning this from the start... Well, fine. If you're ready to go, we'll resume our infiltration."

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Turned out, the gun actually functioned like a real one. He wasn't expecting much when Morgana told him to use it, but the bullet hole through the guard's head didn't leave much room for doubt.

The feline looked over at the two boys smugly, "This is a cognitive world. As long as our opponent sees it as real, it becomes as such. It's a good thing it's realistic-looking."

Ryuji's brows furrowed, "... I don't get it."

"I wasn't expecting someone with your brains to understand. How about you, Frizzy Hair? Did you get what I said?"

Akira nodded, it was simple logic given what he understood of the cognitive world.

"Wait, if it's better havin' something realistic, why do you got that slingshot!? And it was just as strong as a goddamn gun! What about your whole cognitive whatever!?"

Ryuji's retort seemed to catch Morgana off guard.

"W-Well, um... Fine, you can choose to understand it however you want," he stuttered before dashing off down the corridor.

"He totally dodged the question..." sighed the blonde before they followed after their feline companion.

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The three were now on their way back to the castle entrance, their goal in coming here accomplished. They had found evidence that would suggest Kamoshida is, in fact, abusing students at Shujin. Morgana had explained that since this was a cognitive world, the torture they were seeing inside those cells, would mean that those students were likely experiencing something similar in reality.

This only confirmed Akira's suspicions, since the cognitive Takamaki told him the same thing, more or less.

_It would seem that there are more students under his thumb than I originally anticipated._

However, there was one drawback to this entire operation. Which was that, seeing the abuse in the cognitive world didn't mean anything. If there was no way to connect the abuse here to that of the real world, then for all intents and purposes...

It was mere speculation.

"I've remembered their faces real good. We're totally going to take that bastard down!" exclaimed Ryuji.

"How many times have I told you to keep quiet!" scolded Morgana in a hushed tone.

"Oh, sorry! It's just-"

An all too familiar voice cut him off, "...You knaves again?"

When the three turned around, it was none other than Kamoshida. Who was standing triumphantly atop the entrance staircase, with several guards at his side.

"To think you'd make the same mistake again. You're hopeless!" he taunted.

The blonde was quick to argue back, "The school ain't your castle! We're gonna take you down!"

"It seems it's true when they say, 'barking dogs seldom bite.' How far the star runner of the track team has fallen."

"The hell are you gettin' at?"

"I speak of the 'Track Traitor' who acted in violence, ending his teammates' dreams. Oh, I can only imagine the pain of the others who were dragged under with your... selfish act."

Akira noticed the blonde hesitate to speak again, meaning that Kamoshida must've been speaking the truth amidst his taunting. This new information brought up an important question.

_What happened between Sakamato and Kamoshida?_

The pervy gym teacher then pointed at Akira and laughed, "You've come along with this fool and now are going to end up dead. ...How unlucky of you," he then gestured towards his guards. "Go. Kill them all. Don't sully my castle with garbage."

There were a dozen of them, far too many for two people to deal with. However, the thought of being outnumbered only seemed to bring a smirk to Akira's face.

Morgana moved to a defensive stance at his side, "What's the plan?"

He looked down at his feline friend, his smile only growing more arrogant with each passing second, "Isn't it obvious?"

"Well, yeah... but you can't be seri-"

Akira leaped into battle before Morgana could finish, causing the cat to shake his head and sigh.

"He's serious... What a reckless idiot..."

Ducking under the first sword swipe, Akira kicked the feet out from the knight just behind him and slashed his throat before he hit the ground. Morgana jumped towards Akira, who caught, and launched the cat towards another enemy where he managed a successful takedown. Calling Arsene to his side, he then cast several Eiha spells around him to avoid getting surrounded, while simultaneously using this makeshift cover to advance. He then slashed the knee of one unsuspecting guard, rolled off to the side and put a bullet through another's head, before finishing off the former.

"Frizzy Hair!" shouted Morgana as he launched an enemy towards him with his Persona's wind attack.

Akira caught the assailant mid air, and took him head first into the ground; cracking the marble floor upon impact. While the enemy remained dazed, he finished him off with three bullets to the back of the head. He then leapt backwards, twirled overtop, and landed on the shoulders of another trying to get the drop on him. Then mercilessly kept shooting the unfortunate foe atop the skull until he eventually listlessly fell to the ground.

One more guard came charging at Akira, and did an overhead slash with his sword with all his strength. Akira quickly caught and snapped the wrist of his weapon hand, then proceeded to stab his stomach thrice before cutting open his throat, and kicking him away.

Fixing his gloves, he then dramatically twirled his trench coat to face Kamoshida.

"Don't forget about me!" exclaimed Morgana as he swiftly joined his side. "I'm not about to let some rookie outdo me!"

"Goddamn pests! Guards!" huffed Kamoshida.

"There's more of them? At this rate, this battle will never end."

"And who's fault is that?" asked the gym teacher coyly.

"...What?" asked a disgruntled Ryuji, who had been watching from the sidelines this entire time.

"You heard me. It's your fault that you're in this mess. You always were a useless piece of trash, and now you're relying on the help of others, again. Look at you, sitting back all carefree while your friends do all the work for you," he shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "No wonder it was so easy to take down the track team. You're just all bark and no bite, just like your old coach..."

"Leave him outta this!"

"Had he not opposed me with a sound argument to save the track team, I would've settled it with only breaking his star's leg. Do you need me to deal with your other leg too? The school will call it self-defence anyway!"

Ryuji clenched his fists, "Damnit... Not only can I not run anymore... the track team is gone too 'cause of this asshole...! Am I gonna lose again...?"

The blonde's despair only seemed to egg Kamoshida on further, "Once I deal with these two, you're next. Hahahaha...!"

Akira had enough of this pointless exchange.

Shelving his hands into his pockets, he approached the now distraught boy, "Are you going to let him talk down to you like that?"

"But-" his attempted excuse was quickly cut off.

"Stand up for yourself. If you can't do that, then Kamoshida was right about you. You are someone who's all bark and no bite."

Ryuji looked at Akira completely stunned by his words. This guy barely said two sentences in the couple days he's known him, and now all of a sudden he was calling him out on his bullshit. Still, hearing it from him seemed to resonate something deep in his heart.

"...You're right. Everything that was important to me was taken by him... I'll never get 'em back...!"

"That's right," said Kamoshida. "Look on as these hopeless scum die for nothing because they sided with trash like you."

Sakamoto slammed a fist into the ground, "No... That's what you are..." he rose to his feet and pointed at Kamoshida. "All you think about is using people... You're the real scumbag, Kamoshida!"

That wicked grin only grew at the boy's defiance, "Silence him!"

"Stop lookin' down on me with that stupid smile on your face!"

Ryuji suddenly dropped to his knees, and began screaming as he clutched his head in pain.

_Could it be...?_

Akira's question would be answered mere moments later when Ryuji stood up wearing a skull mask.

Everything flashed blue when he tore it away, "Hraaaaaaaaagh...!"

When he looked over at Ryuji again, he noticed the pirate-like Persona behind him along with his own change of attire.

"Right on... Wassup, Persona..." he said while checking himself out. "This effin' rocks! Now that I got this power, it's time for payback..."

He cracked his knuckles, and flashed Akira a cocky smile, "Yo, I'm ready..."

Only... he collapsed seconds later, and his clothes changed back to that of his uniform.

"W-What...?"

Morgana did a quick once over of the blonde, "Looks like his body could only handle the awakening. We need to get him out of here!"

"We're not gonna do anything and just run!?"

"Clean them up this instant!" bellowed Kamoshida.

"We can't die here," interjected Akira.

"Ngh... Fine."

"Can you move on your own?" asked Morgana.

Ryuji stood back up and nodded.

"Then let's scram before we get surrounded!"

The three then bolted for the exit with Kamoshida hollering at their backs, "Hahaha! I was beginning to get bored of torturing the ones here. Come at me whenever you want, if you don't care about your life! Haaaaahahaha! Once I get my hands on that blonde bitch, I'll make sure to take you down for good!"

"Ignore him! Just keep moving!"

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"So what's goin' on? I'm completely lost man...!" asked Ryuji once they managed to lose their pursuers and make it to the gate entrance.

"I told you before. When a Persona-user opposes a Palace's ruler and becomes a threat to them, this happens. It's to prevent you from being affect by distortions," said Morgana.

"I guess so..."

"Stop asking questions, and just accept what you see for what it is."

"Easy for you to say," he muttered under his breath before suddenly gasping. "Wait, we're in deep shit!"

"Be quiet!" whispered an exasperated Morgana. Just how many times did he have to keep telling this moron!?

"We've might've gotten away here, but we're still screwed with Kamoshida at the real school..."

"That's quiet sharp of you! ...For being an idiot. Relax. The Kamoshida in reality can't possibly know about what happens here."

Ryuji scratched his head trying wrap his head around all of this, "...So we're OK?"

Morgana crossed his arms, "Did the Kamoshida in reality remember about the execution?"

"Now that you mention it..."

"There you have it."

Ryuji shifted his gaze to Akira, "Also, what was he sayin' about a blonde bitch? Doesn't that seem kinda odd how he'd specify someone? I mean, there were a ton of slaves down there, so why is this one special?"

Akira knew who he was referring to, but decided to keep that information to himself. They didn't need to know about Takamaki, especially Ryuji. Knowing how hot-headed and blunt he could be, questioning her would likely just blow up in their faces. Besides, from what it sounded like, she still had time... for now...

However, Morgana seemed to want to share his opinion on the subject, "I heard she's an absolutely meow-velous girl! The guards refer to her as 'Princess,' but I've never seen her before. Oh, what I would give for just one glance!"

"Dude..."

The cat quickly cleared his throat, "A-Anyways, there are more important matters to discuss."

Ryuji's expression turned quizzical, "Like...?"

"Like how you two are going to help me out. That's why I was super nice about teaching you two idiots everything."

"Huh? Help out?"

"Don't you remember? I originally came here for an investigation. I need to erase the distortion from my body and regain my real form! That's why we must delve deep into Mementos and-"

The blonde scratched the side of his head in confusion, "Whoa, hold up. What're you goin' on and on about? We never said anything about helpin' you out."

The feline looked between the two boys flabbergasted, "Huh? Don't tell me... Are you not going to repay the hospitality I showed you?" He then pointed at Akira. "Especially you! You're going to up and leave, even though you're already part of my master plan!?"

_Isn't he presumptuous... On top of being condescending..._

He gave the cat a blank stare, something that only seemed to anger him.

"Is it because I'm not human...? Because I'm like a cat...? Is that why you're making a fool of me!?"

"We're busy," replied Ryuji flatly before patting him on the head. "Thanks for everything, cat. You've got guts, bein' a cat and all. See you around!"

As the two boys ran off, Morgana was yelling at them from the castle entrance, "Hey! What the hell!? Ugh, seriously! Why're you wrapping this up like everything's all hunky-dory!? Oh hell no! Get back here!"

The last thing they heard while shifting back to reality was something one could describe akin to... hissing.

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"You have returned to the real world. Welcome back," notified the navi.

Ryuji breathed a sigh of relief, "...Thank god, we're back," he then gave Akira an apologetic look. "I dragged you around a lot, huh? ...Sorry, man."

He shelved his hands into his pockets as he glanced towards the blonde.

_Why apologize when this was exactly what you wanted?_

Ryuji rubbed the back of his neck and yawned, "Ugh, I'm dead tired... How are you holdin' up?"

He shrugged in reply.

"Well, I'm goin' to sleep like a rock when I get home. Anyways, this is gettin' good. I totally remember the faces of the guys that Kamoshida was treatin' like slaves. Once we make 'em fess up to any physical abuse, Kamoshida will be done."

The blonde gave Akira a hopeful expression, "So... wanna help me look for any of those guys or witnesses?"

Akira shook his head. Again, what did he stand to gain out of it?

"No hesitation at all!? C'mon just hear me out. So... If you're thinkin' of laying low 'cause you got a record, I don't think that'll help... Everyone already knows. They totally got you pegged as a criminal."

"You're not telling me anything I don't already know."

Ryuji kicked at the ground, "No one'll take anything I say seriously. Still, those rumours about him gettin' physical might be real. And after seein' Kamoshida's distorted-heart thing in person, there's no way I can just sit back! C'mon dude, you gotta help me out here."

He didn't like where this ship was headed, however, he figured that things would be far more catastrophic if he left the blonde to his own devices.

_Damnit... Am I really getting dragged into someone else's mess again?_

It seemed so, because he just nodded, albeit reluctantly.

Ryuji pumped a fist into the air, "I'm countin' on you! Don't worry; I'm hyped about this too! Well, it would kinda weird to split now, want to grab a bite to eat?"

"Sure."

"I mean, I totally got to hear about your past."

...

They shared a good meal together, despite Akira managing to keep his past a mystery from the prying Ryuji. Before parting for the day, they exchanged contact info and decided to discuss the next stage of their plan in the morning.

"Don't be a stranger!" yelled Ryuji as he hopped onto his train.

Akira waved his goodbye, then decided to head back to the cafe for the night. Also feeling exhausted after all that transpired today.

_Maybe I'll go to the bathhouse before bed._

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Ann was sitting in the school courtyard talking with her best friend, Shiho Suzui. She actually just happened to run into her while leaving the school, and decided to wave her down to catch up. The bullshit with Kamoshida earlier aside, it's been weeks since she's heard a peep from Shiho.

She missed her.

The first thing she noticed was amount of bruises Shiho had on her arms and legs, and that wasn't including the brace on her knee.

"I-I haven't been sleeping well lately... Whenever I close my eyes, I keep thinking about too many things..." the brunette admitted.

Ann's expression fell at her friend's words, "Shiho..."

She continued her confession, "Nationals are coming up soon, so I keep thinking... Should someone like me really be on the starting line up...?"

"Don't worry," Ann reassured with a fake smile. "Just be confident in yourself! Your skills have been recognized! It's all because you work harder than anyone else!"

Even Ann had a hard time believing the bullshit she was spouting out. She believed in Shiho, but was she only in the starting line up because of her deal with Kamoshida? Was there a reason to be worried? Was there... a reason...?

"...Yeah... Volleyball's all I have, after all..."

Ann wanted to pry a little more.

"More importantly, was that injury OK? It looked really swollen," the blonde asked with concern.

"No, it's nothing. It's normal... Especially since a meet's coming up..."

Ann didn't seem convinced, but before she could press further, a blue haired boy by the name of Mishima Yuuki approached the two girls.

**He looks even more banged up than Shiho. Isn't he also on the volleyball team?**

"Sorry to interrupt, Suzui," he said meekly. "Um... Mr. Kamoshida told me to get you."

"Huh? What does he want...?" asked Shiho, seemingly surprised by the random request.

Mishima averted his gaze, "He didn't say..."

Ann noticed the crestfallen look creep up on her friend. Why did she seem so upset?

"It'll be fine! I bet it's a meeting about the starting lineup or something," she tried to reassure her friend.

"...Yeah," Shiho rose to her feet. "Well, I better go."

"Yup. Good luck!"

Ann tried desperately to bring up the mood, but it was obvious that it wasn't working. Shiho left without saying another word, and the blonde decided to head home. The day was just spiralling downward by the minute.

...

After tossing the keys on the counter of her studio apartment, she immediately hopped into the shower. Today had been... eventful.

Once the hot water hit her skin, her thoughts began retracing the day.

**Shiho has seemed really distant lately. Is volleyball really that taxing?**

Ann had only attended a couple practices, as per Kamoshida's demand. They didn't seem anything out of the ordinary, even the matches she was also forced to attend never left injuries like the ones she seen. Was that bastard up to something, or was she just overthinking things?

**No, he promised me to keep her on the starting line up if I...**

She couldn't even bring herself to say those dreaded words. She only prayed this his demands didn't get worse.

**He wouldn't jeopardize his chances of winning by hurting his players, that just wouldn't make any sense. He's got too much pride for that.**

Ann recalled Shiho's depressed expression.

**Barely replies to my texts, calls always getting sent to voicemail, and always too busy to hang out... I guess with Nationals coming up, along with the expectations that come with being a starter on an elite team, she must have a lot to deal with. Still... I wish she'd at least talk to me. We're friends, right?**

Though Ann knew she was in no position to say that.

**All I can do is support her in the only way I know how. I... I just hope that what I'm doing is enough...**

She needed to get out of this line of thinking. Her thoughts then shifted to a particular boy with wavy, unkempt black hair.

Ann found it amazing how one person seemed impossible to approach.

**Tomorrow for sure this time.**

Ann couldn't explain why she felt this level of desperation to clear up the air around him. This had never happened with Shiho, or... anyone for that matter.

It begged the question.

Why him?

A question she's been asking herself a lot recently, and one that she found herself wanting to know the answer more and more with each passing day.

**It makes my head spin—He makes my head spin. Ugh! Why does this have to be so difficult!? It's just one conversation between two classmates! All I'm doing is making sure he's not getting himself into trouble. Yeah! I'm just doing my duty as his fellow classmate!**

She sighed and splashed some water on her face.

**What the hell is wrong with me? Fellow classmate?**

She rested her forehead against the glass door, the warm water drizzling down her back doing little to alleviate the stress she was currently feeling. That was when his face appeared in her mind. That messy raven hair, those cold silver eyes, that empty expression he always wore...

**Why can't I get you off my mind?**

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The volleyball rally, also known as the "Kamoshida ego stroking rally." It was teachers versus different groups of students wanting to participate against the former Olympian medalist. Needless to say, it was a slaughter fest. Every team barely managed to score a point against the teachers, and when they did, it was because Kamoshida was intentionally letting them score by easing up on the play. All of the teachers offence revolved around him and his spike, a spike that was absolutely devastating. To the point where some students were afraid to try and block or receive it.

Akira noticed the group of fan girls cheering Kamoshida on at the sidelines.

_Guess he really can't get enough of the spotlight._

However there was one particular girl sitting alone just outside the group, twirling the tip one of her twin tails while occasionally sneaking glances his way. Though one could say this they weren't very sneaky, because he always met her gaze, resulting in her quickly looking in the other direction.

Ryuji yawned, "Pretty boring, right?"

He shrugged in reply, deciding to focus on the match ahead. Ryuji had planned to question some of those people he saw in the castle once there was a break between matches. Akira was against the idea, but decided to let the blonde spread his wings a bit. Maybe he could find something useful...

*Smack*

The gym lowered to a hush once the ball made impact. Kamoshida had just spiked the ball square into a student's face.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked the blue haired boy with feigned concern. "Someone take him to the nurse's office!"

As the injured student was hauled off out of the gymnasium, Kamoshida then pointed at Akira.

"You. Can you take the spot of Mishima so we can resume the match?" he asked with an innocent smile.

There was clearly an ulterior motive here, but Akira didn't care. If he was going to call him out into the spotlight, then so be it.

Quickly unzipping into his gym shorts and compression shirt, he joined the other boys on the court.

"We really got the transfer student?" complained one of the boys.

"Does he even know how to play volleyball?" whispered another.

The team captain of the soccer team approached Akira.

"Kurusu, right? You know how to play?"

He nodded in reply.

"Good. Just don't get in our way."

Akira adjusted his glasses while looking at Kamoshida with a cocksure grin.

_I won't..._

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The volleyball rally was something Ann had been dreading ever since she gotten word of it.

The reason?

Kamoshida had asked her to be one of the "cheerleaders" to show support for the event, but she knew what he was really after. He just wanted to give her a front row seat to him showing off his volleyball skills. Maybe these other bimbos cheering him on were okay with making fools of themselves, but she totally wasn't. It made her sick thinking about cheering on that chauvinist pig.

So she opted to sit off to the side and not give him that satisfaction.

That was when she noticed him, sitting on the other side of the gymnasium looking at her.

She suddenly became nervous under his gaze, the thoughts from last night creeping up on her. Ann then began fidgeting with tip of her twin tail while looking away, occasionally looking back in his direction before looking away once again when their eyes met.

Ann silently reprimanded herself.

**Why are you acting so weird? Get a hold of yourself, Ann!**

If this was how she was going to act being this distance away from him, then approaching him was a pipe dream. Why was she acting so nervous all of a sudden anyways?

That was when it happened, when Mishima took one of Kamoshida's spikes clean to the face.

Ann could tell that he was feigning concern when he asked if he was alright. It made her scoff.

**Putting on that good guy act again. God, it makes me sick! How can people not see how fake it is!?**

Coming out of her mini-tirade, she realized that he was pointing at someone, that someone being...

**Akira?**

"You. Can you take the spot of Mishima so we can resume the match?" asked Kamoshida.

He didn't reply, but instead got himself unzipped into his gym attire. A sight that caused Ann's pupils to dilate and cheeks to flush a deep red. He may have looked slender in uniform, but under it all was a clearly cut, and athletic body. His muscles were lean but very defined, and the compression shirt he was wearing was hugging all of the right places. His toned pecks and hardened abs were something that had her gawk- appreciating... That's the word.

It seemed that the girls beside her were in the same boat as Ann, cause all that she could hear being whispered among them was how hot the transfer student was. She didn't know why, but hearing the way they were talking about him had her seething.

And hearing what one boy yelled didn't help her settle down either, "I hope Kamoshida destroys the transfer student!"

"Yeah! Kick his ass Kamoshida!" cheered another.

Ann glared at the two boys she happened to overhear, quickly brought back to the reality that he was still viewed as a no good troublemaker. Still, how dare they say those things!

But it wasn't just them. Nearly all the whispers she was now hearing were about how they hoped Kamoshida taught the transfer student a lesson.

"Alright, first to 15. Let's have a good match!" said Kamoshida.

Akira's team had first serve. While he was preparing to serve, Ann began leaning on the edge of her seat. Now finding herself completely invested in the match.

She heard one of those boys from earlier open their trap again, "Do you think he even knows how to-"

The boy was cut off when they all witnessed the laser serve Akira dished that resulted in an ace.

The entire gym went silent at the spectacle. Barely anyone got a point against the teachers, let alone an ace. Yet this guy on his first serve sends an ace?

Akira had his hand out expectantly, Kamoshida rolled the ball over to him.

"Nice serve," he said, feigning the compliment.

Akira didn't reply, only concerning himself with the match. The serve went up...

**Another ace!?**

The gymnasium was stunned once again. Two in a row!?

It was now the teachers serve. Akira intercepted the inbound ball and passed it to one of the guys by the netting, who passed it back to him for a clean spike through teachers defence.

3-0

"Have you played volleyball before?" asked the team captain, sharing the same feelings of surprise as the rest of the gymnasium.

He shrugged, "Just in gym class."

It wasn't a lie. The thing was, Akira was naturally gifted in sports. They were always easy to pick up, and on top of that, he had a personal trainer back home that helped him with workout routines. He taught him all sorts of martial arts, had a strict training and diet regime that gave Akira the build he had. All of which combined together led to being very proficient in school sports.

Kamoshida was filled to the brim with rage. This was supposed to be his event, yet some punk was trying to show him up? Did he have a death sentence? The teacher looked over at Ann, whose gaze was completely fixated on the transfer student. And he was trying to steal HIS Ann? It was time to take this asshole down a peg!

The next serve went up, and this time the teachers managed to recover the ball in their end. Kamoshida was then quickly set up for his signature spike, which he blew blast one of the rear guards.

3-1

He then glared at Akira, "It's not over yet!"

The spectacled boy smirked.

_This'll be interesting..._

...

The contest was even, both teams had trading points.

It was 14-13 for the soccer team, match point. The gymnasium was electric, completely enthralled by the sight before them. Every game so far was a blow out where the closest team had 3 points. Now the teachers/Kamoshida were on the brink of defeat?

Though the most shocked of this unfolding of events was none other than Kamoshida himself. Time and time again he had tried to swing the momentum in his team's favour, but these useless bunch of idiots were only holding him back. On top of that, it seemed that the transfer student was actually not half bad at the sport. He had hit an ace on all four of his serves, and was involved in every point for his team. Kamoshida could tell that everyone was rallying behind him, and at this rate, it was going to spell the end for his "spotless" record.

He had to do something, and quick.

The soccer team had next serve, and luckily it wasn't the transfer student's turn. When the ball came into his side of court, he was once again set up for his signature spike. He was going to send a message. A message that'll show everyone what happens when someone tries to take over his castle.

*Smack*

It happened so fast that Akira didn't have time to react. Kamoshida had done a good job of deceiving him, thinking he was going to spike one way, but in actuality...

He stumbled back, nearly falling from the impact. It was no wonder he won a gold medal with a spike like that. His nose was definitely broken, and the blood spewing out of it could attest to that.

Everyone gasped, though none louder than Ann. Her hands covered her mouth as she witnessed the event unfold.

**Oh my god!**

Ann wanted to go run to him, but she knew that she couldn't.

Her teeth were clenched. If she wasn't mad before, oh boy was she now!

**Damnit...! That piece of shit! How dare he do that to him!**

Akira snapped his nose back into place, before looking over at Kamoshida, who simply gave him a smug grin.

_So that's how it is..._

The gym teacher yelled, "Someone clean this mess up!" he then pointed at Akira. "Hey, Kurusu! You can still play right? I'd hate for such a good match to end on a sour note."

Ann couldn't hide her shock at his words.

**Is he serious!? He can't really believe that Akira can still play. He clearly needs to go to the nurse's office!**

Though, Ann's shock would only be doubled when she looked over at Akira.

**He's... smiling? Why?**

Then it hit her.

**He... can't seriously be considering to finish the match. Is he insane!? **

It would seem that he was. While one of the event helpers wiped up the mess on the floor, he went to the washroom to clean himself up.

And it would only take about five minutes before his return, much to the surprise of everyone. No one had ever been able to take a Kamoshida spike like that and remain standing. Yet here he was, back on the court with a tied score, and match point.

"Are you sure you're still good?" asked the team captain.

Akira nodded, which caused the crowd to cheer at his reply. Their entertainment wasn't about to end just yet.

"That's the spirit! Alright! Match point!" informed Kamoshida.

Ann continued to look onward with a worried expression. This wasn't right! How can anyone not see how insane this was!? Someone stop them! Was what she wanted to say, though, she knew that her request would end in vain. All she could do was watch... and she could only imagine how much he was pushing himself right now.

**That reckless idiot! **

It was teachers serve. The ball was intercepted in the back court, tossed towards the net, then up to Akira. Kamoshida met him at the net, ready to block his spike. However, the astute boy was well aware of Kamoshida's ploy, and instead of spiking it, merely lobbed it over the gym teacher's head.

Kamoshida stumbled back, flailing at the ball in hopes of saving it, but instead fell face first into the floor while the ball lazily bounced beside him.

Game. Set. Match.

There was a stunned silence for a few seconds, before the crowd erupted into an enormous cheer. They had just witnessed the impossible.

All of Akira's teammates jumped him in celebration, while Kamoshida's teammates helped him off the floor. The two locked eyes, one wearing an arrogant grin, while the other was baring his teeth.

Meanwhile, Ann couldn't seem to get her mouth to close shut. What did she just witness? Kamoshida had never lost a game of volleyball before, yet the scorecard clearly showed that he lost. Did Akira really pull off that reckless stunt and come out on top? She couldn't believe it, just who was this guy?

Before she realized it, Ann was cheering along with everyone else.

...

When Akira stepped off the court, he checked his messages and seen that Ryuji had texted him.

Ryuji: Left while you were distractin' Kamoshida. I'll ask some of these guys and see if they know anythin'. Meet you in the courtyard when I'm done. See ya then.

_Guess it's about that time. _

Once he gathered his things, he headed to the meeting spot.

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Ann had followed Akira to the courtyard after he left, and was now currently hiding behind some bushes scouting him out.

**He's just sitting there. Perhaps he's waiting for someone? Or maybe he's just taking a break? Why hasn't he gone to the nurse's office yet?**

Whatever the reason, it didn't matter. This was it, if she was going to act, it had to be now.

She slapped her cheeks to prepare herself before heading towards him.

**You can do this, Ann! Remember your purpose here.**

...

He was still sitting on the bench when she approached.

"Can I talk to your for a sec...?" she asked.

After he looked up to see who it was he didn't say anything, however, it was clear she had his attention.

Ann folded her arms, "It'll be quick. Anyway, what's with you? Like, how you were late the other day was a lie and all. ...There's that weird rumour about you too."

_Oh? Is she still curious about that? _

Akira studied her for a moment, trying to see what her angle was.

_There's this sense of... determination? But why?_

She sighed at his lack of response, "Can't you tell me the real reason behind it?" Her eyes then went downcast, finding the weight under his gaze to be unbearable. "Or is what people say about you actually true?"


	5. Hesitation

A/N: My apologies for the later upload. Life got in the way. Anyways, I appreciate the support this story has gotten and I'm excited to see how far we can take it.

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"...Or is what people say about you actually true?"

Before Akira had the chance to reply, a voice from behind them cut in, "Whaddya want with him?"

When the two found out who it was, they both internally sighed.

"Right back at you. You're not even in our class," Ann said in defence.

"...We just happened to get to know each other."

She couldn't stray from the topic at hand. Maybe Sakamoto with his loose tongue could let slip something up, "What're you planning on doing to Mr. Kamoshida?"

The sudden call out surprised Ryuji, however, he was quick to come with a retort, "...I see. I getcha. You're all buddy-buddy with Kamoshida after all."

Hearing those words thrown at her so nonchalantly caused a fire to ignite in her, "This has nothing to do with you, Sakamoto!"

"If you found out what he's been doin' behind your back, you'd dump him right away," the blonde boy scoffed.

"Behind my back...?"

What else could he be doing behind her back besides what she already knew? Had Akira and Sakamoto found out something even worse?

She had to press for answers. If there was anything that could give her leverage against that bastard, then she had to know what it was.

"What's that supposed to mean...?"

Ann noticed the quick glance Sakamoto gave to Akira before he ultimately shrugged his shoulders and sighed, "You wouldn't get it."

And just like that, Ryuji killed the conversation.

After she had finally mustered up the courage, and right time to talk to Akira, of course it'd be ruined by having him butt in.

She needed a way out of this situation before it got out of hand.

"Anyway, people are already talking about you two. I don't know what you're trying to pull, but no one's going to help you. I'm warning you, just in case. That's all."

Ann then took her leave... almost. There was still one more thing she needed to get off her chest.

"You should head to the nurse's office and get your nose checked out too. That was a nasty hit you took back there."

Ann didn't wait for a response while leaving the two boys. She just needed to say it and get it out of her system. That's all.

She sighed in frustration while she retrieved her things before heading home. That wasn't how she planned her conversation with Akira to go in her head at all.

**I didn't even get a word from him. Not only did I come up empty-handed and blow my chance to talk to him. I probably just gave him an even worse impression of me when I got into it with Ryuji. **

It was annoying how often her and the vulgar blonde she's known since middle school got into it whenever they crossed paths. They weren't even friends, yet that didn't seem to stop them from bickering like two lovers having a quarrel.

And the result of their latest quarrel, resulted in her being back at square one when it came to mystery boy.

**Now what...?**

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"Why's she gotta be so aggressive all the time...?" complained Ryuji after Takamaki left.

_Aggressive..._

Akira recalled the encounter he had with her cognitive version.

_I think it's more her just being an extrovert, but then again... I don't know her. But, it sounds like Sakamoto does._

"You know her?"

He shrugged, "Eh, we just went to the same middle school."

_Hmm... I wonder..._

"Anyways, that's not what we're here to talk about," the corners of his mouth then curled upwards at the news he was about deliver. "I gotta name. Mishima."

The lack of reaction took the wind out of Ryuji's sails a bit, "Can you at least look a little excited? While you were off playing hero, I got one of the first years to spill about his... special 'coaching.' I always see the guy covered in bruises. So I wanna go talk to him before he leaves, and see if we can get anything outta him."

Akira nodded in assent.

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"Hey, got a second?" Ryuji asked the blue haired boy covered in bruises.

"Sakamoto...? And you, too...!?"

Akira noticed the sudden shift in posture and tone in his voice when Mishima spoke to him.

_He's hiding something._

"C'mon, we just wanna chat," reassured Ryuji. "Kamoshida's been 'coaching' you, huh? You sure it's not just physical abuse?"

_As straightforward as ever, but the strategy may prove useful this time around._

"Certainly not!"

"What're you talkin' all polite for? Anyways... We saw him spike you today. Right in the face."

Mishima grimaced at the recent memory, "That was just because I'm not good at the sport..."

It would've been a sound argument, but he gave himself away with subtle shifts in body language once again. Something that his blonde haired companion didn't seem to pick up on.

"...Still, that doesn't explain all the other bruises you've got."

"They're from practice...!" Mishima argued.

Ryuji looked over at Akira, who gave him a slight nod.

He needed to keep applying the pressure, "Is he forcin' you to keep quiet?"

"That's..."

"What's going on here?" a familiar voice interrupted.

Ryuji clenched his fists and shot a glare over at Kamoshida, who had just "happened" to run into them.

"Mishima, isn't it time for practice?"

"I-I'm not feeling well today..." he muttered.

"What? Maybe you're better off quitting then. You're never going to improve that crappy form unless you show up to practice."

It was obvious what he was going after, and right on cue...

Ryuji got up in Kamoshida's face, "Didn't you hear? He ain't feelin' well!"

Kamoshida gave him a sly grin before shifting his attention back towards Mishima, "Well, Mishima? Are you coming to practice or not?"

The blue haired boy sighed in defeat, "...I'll go."

The volleyball coach then towered over Ryuji, "As for you. Any more trouble and you'll be gone from this school for sure," he warned.

His gaze then shifted over to Akira, "Same goes for you. Didn't the principal tell you to keep in line?"

Akira said nothing, he simply stood there with his hands shelved in his pockets. Something that seemed to never fail to irritate Kamoshida.

"Hmph. Just don't get in the way of my practice. All of these unsettling rumours are making the students anxious, after all."

Ryuji was quick to jump to his friend's defence, "That's your own goddamn fault."

Kamoshida scoffed, "This won't get us anywhere. Let's go, Mishima. Shujin Academy is a place where those with aspirations come to learn. Unworthy students like yourselves don't have any right to be here. Get with the program!"

The well-behaved boy frowned, "Yes, sir."

Once the gym teacher rounded the corner, Ryuji was the first to speak up, "That asshole... He's gonna pay for this...!"

Mishima slowly shook his head, "...There's no point."

"Huh!?"

"Proving that he's physically abusing us... is meaningless. Everybody knows... The principal, our parents... They all know, and they all keep quiet about it."

_I see... It's the benefits that comes with being on a volleyball team that performs on a National level that's keeping them quiet. They let him indulge himself in exchange for the prestige._

Ryuji was shocked at the confession, "This has gotta be a joke..."

"...Don't be a pain. You don't understand what I'm going through. Shouldn't you of all people know that nothing's going to help...!?"

It seemed that Mishima's words struck a nerve with Ryuji, making Akira even more curious about what transpired between the two. Mishima then left the two boys, who were no closer to taking down Kamoshida than at the start of the day.

"What now?"

Sakamoto sighed and shrugged, "...I'll try one more time to persuade the other guys. That's... all I can do."

The two then said their goodbyes, and Akira left for home.

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Ryuji: So about the witnesses...

Ryuji: I was wondering if we could get something outta Takamaki.

Akira looked up from his phone to see the woman in question leaning on one of her hands listening to the lecture.

Akira: Because she's not on the volleyball team...

Ryuji: Yeah. I figured it'd be a good idea to talk to someone who knows them.

Ryuji: Takamaki's BFF's with a starter. A girl named Suzui.

Ryuji: I tried to talk to that girl during break, but I got nothing.

Ryuji: That's why we should have Takamaki talk to her.

There was one major flaw with Ryuji's plan.

Ryuji: Then again, I guess it'll be hard getting her to help us...

Ryuji: Sorry. Lemme see what else I can come up with.

In theory it made sense. However, Takamaki made it clear that she had no intention of helping them, even going as far as to scold them for looking into Kamoshida. Something he found odd.

_The cognitive version and her real self are contradicting one another. Considering what we know so far..._

He studied her profile. Noticing the slight frown, the overall depressing atmosphere around her, and the faint smell of... salt?

_The reason is obvious._

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It was just another day of dealing with Kamoshida and all the other bullshit going on at Shujin. Once again he was waiting outside her apartment this morning, and once again she had no way to refuse his offer to give her a ride. And if dealing with his usual groping and slurs wasn't bad enough, the demand he made today certainly took home the cake.

"I want you to come over to my place tonight. Make sure you don't make any plans."

She knew what that meant. Any girl would with a guy like him. Ann was so shocked by the sudden demand that she couldn't even give him a reply. Her body and soul writhed in disgust at the thought of sex with Kamoshida.

And to make matters worse...

Grabbing one of her twin tails, he suddenly yanked her over and whispered into her ear, "I'll call you once school's out. Don't ignore my call, Annnn-chan."

The sultry tone behind the voice that grated her ear drums, the predatory gaze that could strip her bare, the perverted touch that made her skin crawl. He was serious. Dead serious about this.

"R-Right. W-Well, I better g-get to class!" she stuttered when he released his grip on her hair.

Ann then quickly went for the door handle, desperately needing to get out of this car, any longer in here and-

"One more thing..."

Ann didn't have time to react when he grabbed her wrist, pulled her back towards him, and stole a second kiss from her. Ann tried to pull away, but the death grip he had on her wouldn't allow for it. She was forced to endure this torture, forced to feel him dominate her... With this kiss, Kamoshida had sent a message, and it was one she received loud and clear.

She was his.

Period.

After what felt like an eternity he finally broke away. Ann dashed out of the car as fast as she could, her glistening eyes threatening to turn into full blown waterworks. Something she refused to let him see. As soon as she made it to the bathroom, it was a repeat of last time, with her emptying her stomach into the first stall she could get into.

**Why is this happening? Why did it have to be our school?**

It wasn't fair! Why was she being toyed with by this scumbag? Why did she continue to let him have this control over her? Why wouldn't she just fight back?

All valid questions, all questions that she felt had no answer.

**I don't want to endure it anymore. I don't want to live in this hell anymore. I can't take being his "girl" anymore!**

**I can't keep doing this!**

Ann would spend the rest of the morning before class silently sobbing to herself in the washroom...

Fast forward a few hours, and here Ann was on a bench in the courtyard with her best friend. School had ended far too early for her; something she thought she'd never say. These next few hours were going to be the worst hell she's ever experienced, so when she happened to see Shiho in the hall she had to flag her down. Ann thought that maybe talking to her best friend would help make things easier to deal with, if not at least delay the inevitable.

"Shouldn't you be heading to volleyball?" asked Ann, confused. Shiho was never late to volleyball.

"Uh-huh..."

"That bruise above your eye... Is that from practice, too?"

"Y-Yeah..." replied Shiho, timidly.

Just how hard was he making the volleyball team work? These injuries were starting to get out of hand.

"Are you sure you're not pushing yourself too hard?"

It would absolutely devastate Ann if she found out that she's been neglecting Shiho in a time of need. Even if she was struggling with her own issues, that didn't mean that gave her a free pass to ignore her friends when they need her.

Shiho gave an Ann a reassuring nod, "I'm OK... Volleyball's the only thing I can do right..."

It was then that she heard that dreaded ringtone coming from her phone.

"Shouldn't you take that?"

Ann knew exactly who it was because she had a ringtone designated just for him. She did NOT want to answer that call, especially in front of Shiho. And even more so because she exactly why he was calling. It seemed that Hell wasn't going to wait for her any longer.

"It's probably just my part-time job... I think."

"I... should get going," she said before getting up to leave.

"Shiho... Are you sure you're OK?"

"Uh-huh..." she muttered without looking at her.

Shiho left without saying another word, leaving an uncomfortable tension between them that Ann had never experienced before. It gave her a feeling of foreboding, and the ringtone that jingled in her ears again only solidified that belief.

She hesitantly answered the call, "...Yes?"

"You remember our plans after volleyball right, Annn-chan?"

Hearing that voice... There just wasn't any way Ann could endure having sex with him. She couldn't give away something that she's saving for the one she loves to that man.

"Today won't work... I'm... I'm not feeling so good... Sorry... Bye."

It wasn't a lie, today she actually wasn't feeling well. Both physically... and mentally.

**Hopefully he understands... Hopefully...**

She then went to her locker to gather her things, fully intent on hurrying home. Today just couldn't end fast enough for her.

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Akira was on his way to meet Ryuji when he accidentally bumped into someone near the courtyard entrance.

"Sorry... I didn't mean to get in the way..." the brunette girl apologized while scrambling to pick up her things.

"It was my fault, too," he replied, also helping clean up the mess.

"Hm, you don't look familiar," the brunette mused. "Could you be that transfer student from Class D?"

He nodded tersely.

The girl rubbed one of her arms awkwardly, "Um, this might not be any of my business, but don't let the rumours get to you, OK...?"

Why did it matter to her whether or not the rumours affected him?

Still, Akira appreciated the girl's sentiment, "I'll make sure of that."

She gave him a reserved smile, "Good. It's just... my best friend is often misunderstood too, all because of her looks..."

_Oh? Could she be referring to Takamaki?_

"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to drag on like that. Anyway, I have to go to practice... I'll see you around."

_Hmm..._

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"Damnit. What the hell..."

_Guess it didn't go well._

"Seriously... isn't there something we can do?"

Going to police was out because they had no concrete evidence, moreover, no one would believe their story about what happened in the castle. Going straight to Kamoshida was out, because of his influence and the potential backlash they would face if they got caught. As much as Akira didn't want to admit it...

"What about the castle?"

"What about it?"

Before Akira could explain his theory, a familiar voice cut in, "I finally found you..."

"...You say something?" asked Ryuji.

A cat suddenly jumped on the table between them, "Don't think you can get away with not paying me back for helping you."

The blonde did a double take of the cat, "That voice... Is that you, Morgana!?"

"How dare you, up and leaving me the other day!"

"The cat's talkin'?"

The... cat... shot a glare towards Ryuji, " I am NOT a cat! This is just what happened when I came to this world! It was a lot of trouble finding you two."

Akira wasn't convinced. As odd as it was to have a cat talking in reality, the cognitive world had its own laws, who knows what carried over from there?

Ryuji, however, had a more pressing question to ask, "Wait... You came to our world!? Does that mean you've got a phone?"

Morgana puffed his chest, "You don't need one when you're at my level. I did-"

Akira quickly cut off the pretentious feline, "What do you want? Get to the point."

That condescending attitude was something he was not going to put up with.

"I-I was just getting to that," stuttered Morgana, slightly taken aback by serious tone Frizzy Hair had. "Ahem. I want you guys to pay me back-"

"No," interrupted Akira again.

"Will you let me finish!?"

The unkempt raven haired boy closed the distance between them, towering over Morgana. The glint from his glasses also hid his eyes, effectively giving off an intimidating presence.

Akira's voice was cool and collected when spoke, but both Ryuji and Morgana could feel the immense weight behind them, "Listen here, cat. Don't think you can randomly show up here and start ordering us around like we owe you. If your entire plan was to try and guilt trip us into helping you, you're sorely mistaken."

Morgana wasn't going to back down that easily, "If it wasn't for me, you guys would be mince meat inside that castle!"

"If it wasn't for us, you'd still be locked inside that cell. Tortured, only to be executed later. You're not the only one who can play that game."

The feline was backed into a corner, he didn't anticipate Frizzy Hair to be this capable in a battle of wits.

"H-How about this. In exchange for helping me, I can tell you how to deal with Kamoshida."

He pondered it for a moment, "I'll at least hear you out."

"Y-Yeah..." Ryuji didn't know what to say, Morgana wasn't the only one caught completely off guard by that curve ball. All of a sudden Akira had cut the bullshit and got straight to the point. Whatever plan the cat had coming into this got, not only shut down, but totally reversed. It made the blonde wonder what was going in that head of his spectacled friend.

"We really got to be looking for a cat in a busy time like this...?" the three overheard one of the disciplinary committee members complain.

"I just heard a meow somewhere near here. Didn't you hear it?" asked the other committee member.

"Let's not do this here."

"Let's head to the roof," suggested Ryuji. "No one should bother us there."

Once they got to the roof, the two boys looked over at Morgana expectingly.

"Frizzy Hair was onto it earlier. You'll need to attack his castle."

The vulgar blonde scratched the back of his head in confusion, "What do you mean...?"

"That castle is how Kamoshida views this school. He doesn't realize what happens in there, but it's deeply connected to the depths of his heart. Thus, if the castle disappears, it would naturally impact the real Kamoshida."

"What'd happen?"

"A palace is a manifestation of a person's distorted desires. So, if the castle were no more..."

_It's as I suspected..._

"Are you sayin' he'd turn good!? For real!?" However, the seed of doubt wouldn't be removed so easily. "But... is that really gettin' back at him?"

"Erasing a Palace essentially means forcing the owner to have a change of heart. However, even though their warped wants disappear, the crimes they committed remain. Kamoshida will become unable to bear the weight of those crimes, and he'll confess them himself!"

The look of having his mind blown returned to Ryuji, "You for real!? That's possible!?"

Morgana wore a smug smile as he continued speaking, "And since the Palace will no longer exist, he'll forget what we did there as well. Not only will we be able to bring Kamoshida down, but there won't even be a trace of our involvement."

"That's amazing! You are one incredible cat!"

"True, except for the cat part!" he reminded.

Akira had quietly been taking in this information.

_This all sounds too good to be true, there has to be something he's not telling us._

"What's the catch?" he then asked.

The two looked at him in confusion.

"You've told us the what happens when everything goes right, but what's our worst case scenario here?"

"Besides the obvious..." Morgana sighed. "If we erase a Palace, there is no doubt that the person's distorted desires will be erased as well. But desires are what we all need in order to survive. The will to eat, sleep, fall in love—those sorts of things."

Ryuji's face contorted into a quizzical expression, "What're you gettin' at?"

"If all of those yearnings were to vanish, they'd be no different than someone who has shut down entirely. They may even die if they're not given proper care. So..."

And there it was, the catch. Essentially there was a possibility they could kill Kamoshida with this plan of theirs. Even after considering the things he's done, he didn't deserve death. Atonement, but not through death.

Ryuji looked over at Akira, "Whaddya think?"

He simply shook his head.

The cat continued to try and persuade the two, "It's not like anyone's going to find out!"

"That's not the point! If we just go around secretly doin' whatever we want, we'd be no better than that effin' Kamoshida..." Ryuji retorted.

"Isn't this your only option?"

Akira adjusted his glasses, "Not at the expense of another's life."

Morgana frowned. Obviously this wasn't going how he had hoped, but he still needed those two for his super secret master plan. He had to win them over... somehow.

"...I'll come back later. Make sure you've made a decision by then."

After the cat took his leave, Ryuji turned to Akira, "I'll try and see if I can figure out another way... C'mon, let's get outta here."

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While transferring lines on the way home, Akira replayed the conversation between him, Morgana, and Ryuji.

_Even if we would get away with it, being a murderer and living with that everyday... _

It wasn't something that one could take lightly.

He sighed, it seemed like this wasn't going to be an issue that could be resolved by conventional means...

"Will you please give it a rest!? I told you, I'm not feeling up to it..."

He recognized that voice. And sure enough, just off to his right, there she was on the phone.

_She seems distressed._

"Wait, what...!? That's not what you promised! And you call yourself a teacher!?"

_Oh?_

"This has nothing to do with Shiho!"

She took the phone away from her ear, the call must've ended, and judging by her expression, not the way she had hoped.

"Shiho's... starting position..."

It all started to come full circle for Akira.

_He's using her friend's position on the volleyball team as leverage to get what he wants from Takamaki. And what else would he want from a second year high school girl..._

However...

This wasn't his problem. Why should he help her? He wasn't under any obligation to step into her business, and there wasn't any reason for him to. Not only that, but didn't she just scold them yesterday for going against Kamoshida?

Despite all those reasons it wasn't the main one. No, the biggest reason why he didn't want to get involved was because of last time... That woman, the one who he attempted to save? Sold him out to save herself when someone in power started throwing around threats in a drunken stupor. He was used and discarded like a piece of trash. The consequence? Well... let's just say he wasn't going to let himself be manipulated like that again.

He noticed that they had now locked eyes, however, it was short-lived. Akira broke the gaze and headed to his transfer line. Leaving the blonde haired girl to deal with her own problem.

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A/N:There was a question on from a Luis I believe. Asking what Akira's personality stats are. The answer is, I'm not basing his ability to do things off stats. Good question.


	6. Changing Fate

A/N: Just wanted to say that I appreciate the support. Well over 1000 views this early on is awesome.

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Ann had just finished getting off the phone with Kamoshida... again. One glance at her and anyone could tell that the call didn't end well. He was still being persistent in his pursuit to get her to come over to his place today. She of course refused him again, but...

"If that's how it is, then Shiho can kiss her starting position and letter of recommendation goodbye!" he threatened.

"This has nothing to do with Shiho!"

Their conversation just wouldn't stop repeating in her head. His words drilling into her like a jackhammer. He didn't leave much to the imagination when describing what they would be doing, and the thought made her shiver.

She huddled into a ball in the middle of station square, not caring if anyone saw her pathetic crying state.

**Is giving into his desires the only way to save Shiho's future? Is enduring this hellish torture my only option? Is there even a light at the end of the tunnel? Is there even an end to all of this?**

Once again, valid questions. And once again, questions she didn't have an answer to.

**This is so frustrating! Isn't there some way out of all this!?**

It was then that she felt a pair of eyes on her. It wasn't the usual lustful stares or hateful glares. No, she knew who these set of eyes belonged to. Sure enough, when she turned around there he was.

**Of course he of all people would find me like this. God, how can this get any worse!?**

Her answer came about three seconds later, when he turned the other way and left, getting lost in the crowd in mere seconds.

She let out a sad chuckle.

**It makes sense why he'd turn the other way. Why am I even bothered by it? It's not his problem. Besides, I stupidly scolded him for trying to go against-**

**Wait a second...**

Ann hurried to her feet and chased after the raven haired boy.

"Hey, wait! Akira!" she yelled over the sea of traffic. Hoping that maybe he was within earshot.

...

**Nothing... I have to keep looking!**

Ann looked all over station square, central street, and the underground walkway for Akira. Desperate in her search to find him, a search which appeared to be in vain.

She returned to the top of the stairs that lead back to station square.

**I can't find him anywhere. Ha, just my luck... I must look like an idiot... Running around a sobbing mess, looking for a guy that I don't even know. All so I can talk him about something that I don't even know is true. **

Pulling out her phone, she then scrolled through her contacts until she stopped at Kamoshida's name.

Her thumb hovered over the phone icon, her bottom lip quivering as she hesitantly brought it towards the button.

**I-I guess I have no other choice. If that's means-**

She suddenly felt a hand grab her shoulder. When she spun around to see who it was, her eyes widened in shock.

"Y-You!?"

Akira eyed her expectingly.

_I should've just left, but after seeing her put that much effort into finding me... I'll at least hear what she has to say._

It was as it sounded. While his intention was to carry on with his business, the actions of Takamaki caused him to do a re-evaluation. What was so important, that she needed to search all over Shibuya to talk to someone she didn't know? Couldn't it wait until tomorrow? Was it something that only he could answer for her?

She had garnered his interest, and she now had his undivided attention.

However, he should've anticipated the next words that spilled out of her mouth.

"N-Never mind. It's nothing at all," Ann choked out as she quickly wiped away the tears threatening to trickle down her cheeks. "Nothing..."

And just as quick as their last exchange, it was over. With Ann sprinting down into the underground walkway.

_I guess that's that. _

That should've been the end of it. Takamaki didn't want to talk to him and it wasn't his business anyways. Why would he pursue her?

His mind flashed to her cognitive version, replaying their conversation. Then shifting over to how she looked that day they first met when she entered Kamoshida's car. Then at class today, the way she had a dark cloud looming over her head; similar to what he's seen the past few days. And just now, how she was desperately fighting to hold back her tears while she reassured him that everything was fine.

Everything was not fine.

Could he really just sit back and watch how this unfolded? Akira knew what would happen if he left things be, it painted an all too familiar picture.

The question remained...

Does he try to stop said picture from being completed like last time, or does he let the artist draw out his desires and add another "piece" to his collection?

Akira sighed, knowing exactly what he needed to do, but questioning whether or not it was the smart thing to do. He didn't come to Shujin to fall into more trouble or get into anyone's business, yet that's the only thing that seemed to be happening to him.

Even still, there was a part of him that was nagging him to chase after her. Pleading with him to not leave her up to fate. To see this through.

In the end, he gave in to his curiosity.

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It wasn't hard to find her, after all, she stood out like a sore thumb. She was huddled against one of the columns in the underground walkway, a similar scene to when he first found her.

Seeing that helpless expression brought him back to that night, where he failed to save that woman. Maybe this was a way of something telling him to atone for that failure. Maybe there was something in the universe drawing these two together, because it was beginning to seem that way. Food for thought, but one he could indulge in another time. There were more pressing matters to address.

Akira approached Ann, and this time when she noticed him she shot him a glare, "Stop following me... Just leave me alone!"

He knelt down in front of her shivering figure, "I... can't do that."

That wasn't the response she was expecting, "Why...? Why are you even worrying about me?"

Akira's expression softened. It was a look that made her want spill all of her worries and pent up emotions to him. A look that made her feel like someone understood what she was going through in this hellhole. A look of someone that was genuinely concerned for her well-being.

It was too much to take, and Ann could no longer hold back her tears as she began to sob in front of Akira.

**I'm such an idiot! Why am I-**

Her thoughts were quickly cut off when she felt his hand on her shoulder, and his other offering a handkerchief, "Let's not do this here. Let's go somewhere safe where we can talk."

He was willing to listen to her problems? He wasn't going to ignore her like everyone else? But... the way he left earlier...

"It's not your problem... Please... just forget about all of this..."

Akira shook his head, "It... became my problem."

"What the heck...?" she took the handkerchief he was still offering. "I really don't get you..."

He helped her to her feet, but didn't let go of her hand afterwards as he led them out of the walkway.

"H-Hey, you can-"

"Can you trust me?" he interrupted.

"What are you-"

Ann stopped herself mid-sentence. The look in his eyes said it all, they told her exactly what his intentions were.

She tightened her grip on his hand and replied sheepishly, "I... I can trust you."

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Akira had led them to a cafe that she didn't know was tucked away on central street, and they were now in a corner booth. With her having a glass of water, and he, a cup of coffee.

Ann had gotten the chance to calm down a little, which was when she realized what she just did.

**Did I really just follow some guy I don't even know into a cafe while I was a blubbering mess? **

But, Akira Kurusu wasn't just "some guy."

He was the first person she had ever let see her cry, not even Shiho saw her in such a state. Now she was sitting across from him, across from a guy she knew next to nothing about ready to spill her heart out. The thought sounded ludicrous in her head, but something in her heart was telling her the opposite. There was a warmth to his presence, something she couldn't quite put her finger on, but something that made her feel safe.

"Listen, it was just an argument..." she said, her voice barely above a whisper as she looked away from him.

Akira adjusted his glasses, "...With Kamoshida?"

Judging by the way she recoiled at the name, he hit the nail on the head.

The blonde took a deep breath, "You've heard the rumours, haven't you? About Mr. Kamoshida," she began drawing in the napkin with her finger. "Everyone says we're getting it on... but that's so not true!

"That was him on the other line. I avoided giving him my number for the longest time! He told me to go to his place after this..." she scrunched up the napkin in disgust as she recalled their conversation again. "You know what it means.

"If I turn him down, he said he'd take my friend off as a regular on the team. I've been telling myself this has all been for Shiho's sake."

Ann slumped back in her chair, looking down at the table, "But I can't take it anymore!"

She then met his gaze with tears streaming down her cheeks, "I've had enough of this! I hate him! But still... Shiho's my best friend.

"She's all I have left in that sorry excuse of a school! Tell me... what should I do?"

It took all Akira had to maintain his stoic expression in front of Ann. Seeing her honest, heartfelt confession struck something deep inside of him that he never could have anticipated. He could feel the emotion behind her every word, and they sliced through him like a hot knife on butter. How was it, that she could make him feel this way just by reiterating what he already knew?

Wiping her eyes, she apologized, "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked. It's not your problem."

"Like I said, it's now my problem."

His response caused Ann to do a double take of the boy sitting across from her. Was he serious? She couldn't tell, because the glint from his glasses was hiding his eyes.

"What... am I saying...? I've barely even talked to you before..."

"Perhaps that's why."

"Huh?"

"It's been said that it can be easier to open up to a stranger than even your best friend."

She could attest to that. She was doing exactly what he said right now.

"...You're so weird. Usually everyone just ignores me," Ann admitted.

Now it was her turn to ask a question, one that's been on her mind since she first heard about it, "Are you really a bad person as the rumour says...? You just don't seem like it..."

Akira adjusted his glasses, "Oh?"

"They say that you assaulted someone... That you almost killed them... And that you're into a whole bunch of other illegal things... I kinda had a feeling they were all just exaggerations.

"You seemed lonely—almost like you didn't belong anywhere..." she twirled the tip of one of her twin tails. "We're the same in that regard. Maybe that's why it was so easy for me to talk to you."

Her words held a lot of truth. Truth that he didn't expect to hear coming from her. Was he that easy to read, or was she just really good at reading people?

Her voice broke him from his thoughts, "Is there really no way for me to help Shiho...? I wish he'd just change his mind... Like, forget about me, and everything..." She sighed and offered him a sad smile. "As if something like that would ever happen..."

_Actually..._

The gears were turning in Akira's mind.

_If we change his heart, then we could do just that. Takamaki wouldn't be subjugated under him anymore, and we can save her friend along with all the other victims._

He brought his hands under his chin as he pondered an important question.

_Is this really something I can ignore, knowing full well that I now have the ability to stop it? _

He looked up at Ann, who was staring at him with a softened expression.

"It can happen."

The corners of her mouth tugged upward, "I wasn't asking for a serious response. But I do feel a bit better now," she got up from her seat. "...I'm gonna head home."

"Before you do..." Akira pulled out his phone. "Let's exchange numbers. If you feel the need to talk again, you can always reach me here if I'm not around. However, if you don't want to, then don't use it. Just know that it's there if you're feeling low again."

Ann smiled at the unexpected kind gesture, "...I'd like that."

"I'll try and think of a way to persuade Kamoshida. Don't tell anyone what I told you, OK?"

He nodded tersely.

"Well... thanks."

The two exchanged contact info, then went their separate ways. Both sharing a similar feeling heading into the night...

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Before turning in for the night, Akira heard his phone buzz.

Ryuji: So, whaddya think about what Morgana told us?

Ryuji: I dunno if I get all this stuff about stealing desires...

Ryuji: And Kamoshida's gonna turn like, brain dead if we mess up, right?

Ryuji: I mean, sure I'm pissed at him...

Ryuji: But I dunno if I really want to kill the guy...

Of course killing him was not an option, but at this point... Was it a risk worth taking? After his conversation with Takamaki, and seeing the effects of his abuse spread across the school... They had the power to stop him, so what was stopping them from going through with it?

Hesitation.

Akira was hesitant, and for all the right reasons. However, what consequences would arise from his reluctancy to spring into action?

Akira: We'll talk more about it later.

Ryuji: I mean, maybe I'm just freaking out, but I don't want to end up a murderer cause of this shit.

Ryuji: Oh well...

Ryuji: I'll try and see if I can come up with some other way tonight.

_There aren't any other leads, and Kamoshida has the entire school under a tight leash. _

He put his glasses on the window sill and hopped into bed.

_Conventional means don't seem like the answer here. _

Once again he heard his phone go off.

_Again? What does he want- Oh?_

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If Ann could describe today in one word, it would be, eventful. Otherwise, it was too difficult for her to put today's events into words. One moment she was hating herself and just trying to get through the day, next she was on the verge of handing over her purity to a demon incarnate, then she was saved. In her darkest hour, in her biggest time of need... A light, just a sliver, turned into something that ended up saving her from succumbing to the darkness.

That light, that man, her saviour... Akira Kurusu.

In that moment, she thought that was it for her when she saw him leave. That she'd give herself to Kamoshida, and that would be that. She didn't know what made him decide to come back, but she would be forever thankful. He had stopped her from making the biggest mistake of her life. Looking back on it, she realized that he didn't do a lot except listen to her vent. And yet, it was the kindest thing anyone has ever done for her. Someone took the time out of their day for her, and not for any reason other than they were concerned for her. That simple act of kindness, having someone basically tell her that she was important too, that her problems were validated, that her emotions were validated... It was something that would stick with her forever.

Ann knew that those rumours about him weren't true, and today only proved that.

The thought brought a smile to her face.

Maybe now they could bridge the gap she's been wanting to close this entire time? Ann wanted to know everything about him. Learn what really lies beneath his mask, what makes him tick, his past... If she wasn't already interested before, she certainly was now. The boy she couldn't stop thinking about since their first encounter time and time again has found new ways to keep her hooked. Was their encounter fate? Were these feelings she was having also a part of that? It was hard to say, however, she was happy that it was him.

**That reminds me!**

She grabbed her phone off her nightstand.

Butterflies settled in her stomach as her thumb hovered over Akira's name. Why was she getting nervous? This wasn't the first time she texted someone, however, this was the first time she was texting a boy of her own volition, and taking the initiative no less!

She began typing a few words, but deleted them a few moments later. Next she wrote a long paragraph, then shook her head and deleted it. She then thought that maybe she should try to do small talk before bringing up the subject, but there was one problem... What would they talk about?

**Gah! All I want to do is thank him! Why does this gotta be so difficult!? **

After taking a moment to collect herself, she finally decided on what to say.

Ann: Sorry for bothering you so late.

Ann: I just wanted to say thank you again. You know... for listening to my problems and being there for me. I don't know what I would've done if you didn't show up.

A few moments later she could see the three dots pop up, signifying that he was typing. She clutched her phone tightly in anticipation. Was her heart rate always this fast?

Akira: I'm glad you're feeling better.

The corners of her mouth tugged upwards. It was a short and simple response, but the message got across to her loud and clear.

Ann: Well, that's all I wanted to say.

Ann: I'll see you at school tomorrow.

Ann: Goodnight.

Ann felt like a weight had been taken off her shoulders, but knew there was still work left to do.

As long as Kamoshida remained at their school, no one was safe.

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The next morning was another first for her for the first time since school started. Kamoshida wasn't waiting for her outside her apartment.

She didn't know what he didn't show, but she didn't care. Maybe it was a sign that today would be a good day.

She hurried along to school with a little more pep in her step.

...

While Akira was on his way to school, he happened to overhear two volleyball girls gossiping.

"I can't believe Suzui-senpai missed such an important meeting. I wonder what happened."

"Mr. Kamoshida asked to see her..." informed the second year.

"You know, I've been hearing rumours about how Mr. Kamoshida and Suzui-senpai stay late... She always shows up to meetings though. It's weird she wasn't at the one yesterday..."

_Hmm..._

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Akira was on his way to the bathroom during morning class when something caught the corner of his eye in a nearby window.

_Isn't that Suzui?_

She was climbing over the fence on the rooftop; an area off limits to students, and it was the middle of class...

_Shit!_

Akira immediately sprinted to the rooftop, barrelling through the door hoping that, not only did he make it in time, but he was completely misunderstanding the situation.

Only...

He didn't make it, and it was exactly as he surmised...

The last thing he seen was the back of her ponytail before it disappeared from view.

...

"119, what's your emergency?"

"We need an ambulance sent to Shujin Academy. We have one female, presumably 16, that jumped off the roof. Pulse is steadily dropping, there's a major laceration in her head, left leg is broken, and she's losing more blood than I'm able to stop," informed Akira while tending to Shiho.

"Understood. An ambulance will be there in five minutes."

He didn't know if Shiho had five minutes, but it was what it was. He could only do what he can with what he had to work with, which was a torn piece of his shirt that quickly became saturated with blood. If there was some way to the nurse's office, he would've taken her there. But, he wasn't sure if it was a good idea to move her, nor did he think leaving her to get said supplies was any better an idea.

Shiho's eyes suddenly fluttered open.

"Y-You?" she managed to sputter out.

"Help is on the way. Hang in there, Shiho," he attempted to reassure her.

"I'm sorry... I-I can't take it... anymore..."

He noticed her eyes begin to close, "Hey, hey! Stay with me Shiho, hang in there for a little longer."

She was struggling to raise her hand, but he understood that she was trying to tell him to come closer.

Her voice was barely above a whisper when she spoke into his ear, "Kamoshida... took advantage of... me..."

He looked down at her, his eyes asking her a question. A question she answered with a sad smile.

She brought her lips to his ear again, "Take care... of..."

Shiho didn't get the chance to finish her sentence as she lost consciousness.

He checked her pulse again. It was faint, but it was still there. She wasn't dead, yet...

When the ambulance arrived, one person broke free from the crowd of students.

"Shiho!" gasped Ann as she rushed over towards the two.

She knelt beside him, looking over her friend with extreme worry, "No... Why...?"

Ann then looked over at Akira, her expression hurt and confused, "Why, Akira? Why did this happen?"

He adjusted his glasses, seemingly staring off into the distance, "Kamoshida..."

"Kamoshida...?"

While Ann was trying to make sense of what he said, Akira was locked into a stare with the man in question. Who was looking down at them with a smug expression on his face.

_He's seriously proud of this?_

Any reservations he had before about stealing his desires were thrown out the window. If he had no qualms about driving a student to suicide after sexually abusing them, then the risk of killing him didn't matter any longer. Kamoshida needed to be brought to justice for his crimes, crimes that Akira could no longer let slide.

"We need someone to go with her to the hospital," informed one of the paramedics.

Akira put a hand on Ann's shoulder, "Go with her, Takamaki. We can talk later. Shiho needs you right now."

She sniffled, "Okay..."

After she left with the ambulance, Akira noticed a familiar blue haired boy running away from the crowd.

_Mishima... he knows something about this..._

Akira decided to chase after him, and it seemed like one other had the same idea.

"You noticed too?" Ryuji asked, joining up beside him.

He nodded tersely.

"...We're gonna make him talk this time."

They easily caught up to Mishima, each grabbed an arm, and dragged him to a secluded part of the hallway.

"Why'd you run like that? Huh!?" questioned Ryuji.

Mishima looked down at the ground, trying to hide his guilt, "I didn't run..."

"She jumped and tried to kill herself!"

"...L-Leave me alone..."

"Understand the gravity of the situation. Tell us what you know," demanded Akira.

"He's right. We ain't tryin' to get you busted. We won't say you talked either!"

The timid boy slumped his shoulders, "Suzui... She was called out by Mr. Kamoshida!"

"Wait, what!?"

"I was called by him a number of times too... to the teacher's room," he shuddered as he recalled the times being called there. "It wasn't just me or Suzui either. He'd nominate someone when he was in a bad mood... and hit them."

"So the physical punishment thing was for real..."

"But yesterday, he called Suzui out of the blue. She didn't make any mistakes or anything... Mr. Kamoshida seemed really irritated that day, so it must've been... worse than usual..."

Ryuji looked at Mishima with wide eyes, "He didn't...!"

It was exactly what he was implying, and that's when Akira realized that he was in a lose-lose situation.

_I stop him from raping Takamaki, but then he just uses Suzui as a replacement..._

It was then that consequences of his hesitation became clear to him.

"That son of a bitch...!"

The blonde then ran off, the two boys followed him knowing exactly where he was headed...

When they got inside the PE office, Kamoshida was sitting at his desk. Acting like he had no idea what just happened a few moments ago.

"You bastard! The hell did you do to that girl!?" accused Ryuji.

"What are you talking about?"

The vulgar boy kicked over a chair at Kamoshida's attempt to play coy, "Don't play dumb with me!"

"That is enough!"

Mishima spoke up, "What you did... wasn't coaching...!"

"What did you say?" asked Kamoshida in a menacing tone.

"You... You ordered me to call Suzui here... I can only imagine what you did to her...!"

"You're going on and on about things you have no proof of... Basically, you're simply making these claims because you can't be a regular on the team, right?"

"That's not what this is about...!" Mishima retorted.

Kamoshida crossed his arms as he eyed the three boys, "Even if it is exactly as you imagine it to be, hypothetically speaking... what can you do? We just received a call from the hospital. Suzui's in a coma, and her chances of recovery are slim... How would someone like that make a statement?

"There's no chance of getting better, I hear... The poor girl."

Mishima shook his head in disbelief, "No... That can't be..."

Ryuji was shaking he was so mad, "You goddamn...!"

The gym teacher shook his head at the blonde, "This, again...? Does this mean we need to have yet another case of 'self-defence'?"

"You shut your mouth, you son of a bitch!" yelled Ryuji before swinging at Kamoshida.

Only the blow never landed, as his fist was caught by Akira.

"Why're you stopping' me...!?"

Akira let him go, "What would it accomplish?"

"But still!"

Even Kamoshida didn't expect Akira to step in like that, "Oh? You're stopping him? What a surprise," he then smiled at Ryuji. "There's no need to hold back. Why not attack me?"

_Because it would be exactly what he wants. _

Akira knew this game all too well.

"...Ohhh, you can't. Hahaha, but of course you can't!" Kamoshida returned to his desk. "Everyone present right now... will be expelled. I'm reporting all of you at the next board meeting."

"You can't make a decision like that...!" protested Mishima.

"Who would seriously consider what scum like you say? You threatened me too, Mishima, so you're just as responsible. To think you didn't know why I kept someone as talentless as you on the team. You act like you're a victim, but you leaked his criminal records, didn't you? It's all over the internet, correct? How terrible."

The blue haired boy dropped to his knees in shame, "He told me to do it. I had no choice..."

Kamoshida began to laugh hysterically, "Now, are we finished here? You're all expelled! You're done for; your futures are mine to take. Now get out of my sight."

Ryuji looked over at Akira, "I can't believe this asshole's gettin' away with this...!"

He adjusted his glasses, "It's not over yet."

"...Oh right. We have that!" he said after catching on.

"Huh? Have you lost your minds?" insulted Kamoshida. "I don't understand what garbage like you are thinking, but go ahead and try. All you can do is wait for your disposal though..."

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Once school ended, the two boys decided to meet up in the courtyard. Intent on giving Morgana his answer on whether or not they'd steal Kamoshida's heart.

"We can't waste any time," said Ryuji as he slammed his fist into a vending machine. "We gotta hurry up and go to that world and beat the shit outta that asshole!"

"...We're not beating him up. We're simply stealing his distorted desires," the cat corrected. "Can I assume that you've made up your minds about this—about how he might suffer a mental shutdown?"

Ryuji nodded, "...I have. Someone almost died because of him! I don't give a rat's ass what happens to him anymore!"

Morgana then looked over at Akira, "And you?"

"There's no other way," he answered.

"There you have it."

"By the way, is gettin' rid of a Palace hard...? You've tried it before, right?" asked the vulgar blonde.

"...When did I ever say that?"

"...Eh?" the cat's words then finally hit him. "WHAT!? Were you just pretending' to know!?"

Before Morgana had the chance to retort, a soft voice spoke from behind the group, "Is it true that you're getting expelled?"

_Takamaki... If she's here, then..._

"Everyone's talking about it..." she continued.

When the hospital dropped her off back at school, it was the first thing she heard upon entering. That the transfer student is getting expelled for misconduct. The thought nearly tore her heart out of her chest then and there. She knew the real reason behind the expulsion, and it absolutely devastated her to think that he was getting punished for doing the right thing. For saving her.

After hearing those words, Ann ran around the entire school in search of him. She wanted to talk to him again, she needed to see him again.

"That asshole's at it again...!" said Ryuji through gritted teeth. "So you came all this way to tell us that?"

That wasn't it at all! She had just lost her best friend, and now it seemed that this world was trying to take something else important to her. She refused to let that happen again!

"If you're going to deal with Kamoshida... let me in on it too. I can't just sit back and do nothing after what happened to Shiho!"

It was something that she had been thinking about the entire ride back. How could she have not seen the signs? How could she ignore her friend, who was clearly in a lot of pain? How could she sit back and carry on business as usual knowing that her friend was suffering, and Akira was getting expelled for the wrong reasons?

Her answer?

She couldn't.

Akira seen the look of fire in her eyes, that fierce determination that told him that she was a person that, once she got her mind set on something, there was no stopping her.

However... how could he explain the Metaverse to her? How would she not think that he was insane upon hearing their plan? Not only that, but does she even have the potential to wield a Persona? If not, she'd only be a liability. How else could she defend herself against inter-dimensional beings? As much as he wanted to heed her request, all signs pointed to...

"This has nothing to do with you... Don't butt your head into this..." warned Ryuji.

Ann stomped her foot, "But it does! Shiho's my-"

"I said don't get in our way!"

She glared at Ryuji.

**Who does that asshole think he is!? Fine! If he wants to play it that way, then two can play at that game!**

She knew Ryuji well enough from middle school that he was about as stubborn as they come. He wouldn't let her join no matter how much she pleaded, and going to Akira wouldn't change that. Hell, she didn't know if even he would let her join.

Ann then ran off to prepare her counterattack. If they weren't going to let her join, she'd make them change their minds.

"...That was harsh," commented Morgana.

Ryuji crosses his arms, "We can't take her somewhere like that..."

"I hope that she doesn't torment herself over this. When it comes down to it, women don't hesitate."

Akira inwardly smirked at the naivety of the two. He knew this matter was far from settled. Was he going to stop her? Absolutely not. If anything, she had more reason to stake a claim in this than any of them. If she was certain on following through her conviction, Akira would play along with her little game.

"We just gotta hurry up and deal with Kamoshida. Let's go already!"

As they left for the alley that they used to enter the Metaverse last time, Akira took a look behind him. Sure enough, he could see part of a platinum blonde bushy twin tail struggling to hide itself around the corner.

_Show me your resolve, Takamaki._

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A/N: So, I'm just going to say it. I think all but like one comment was people pushing the panic button of, "Oh my god how could you leave her like that?!" "Joker would never do such a thing!"

Listen, it says in the tags that this is a dark fic, and that there's canon divergence. I want to expand on the dark parts of the story that the game either makes light of, or glosses over. While I agree Joker wouldn't leave Ann, he still needs a reason besides "Well, she's upset." And? He knows nothing about her at that point, and he's still not convinced on going through with stealing Kamoshida's heart. He has no reason to stick his nose into someone else's business, especially with his past very fresh in his mind. I never liked how the game just made Joker this guy who jumped into all these situations that could land him in juvenile hall, (or worse in some cases) with never asking himself why he should jump in. I think that's always gone against his character. Yeah, he's got a sense of justice, but he's not charging head first into trouble simply in the name of justice.

Agree or disagree, let the story play out before giving your opinion on why you do or do not like where the story is going.

As a side note: I like to listen to music when I read, and certain songs strike out to me as fitting for a scene. Voice of No Return, I felt was a good song for the Shiho scene. If anyone of you are into that, give it a listen.

Anyways, see you guys in the next chapter.

Edit: Since Anon92 made a ridiculously long review with some good questions. I'll give he/she the benefit of the doubt and answer it now.

You're right about Joker knowing something is wrong, but that doesn't change the fact that he'd still be reluctant to step in. And they didn't really spend any time together, they shared a silent moment in the rain. She called him a liar with no context or clarification when he showed up late on his first day, and she scolded him for attempting to go against Kamoshida. Not a very great track record for Ann in my books. She's given him absolutely no incentive to go out of his way and ask, "Hey, are you okay?" No reason to stick his nose in her business. As for the second part of it, I'm glad you caught on. It is him trying to be smart and cautious, but it's out of that fear, the fear that lingers in the back of his mind the last time he tried to help a girl in trouble with a man. He's essentially asking himself if something similar will happen if he steps in again. What would the consequences be? A very valid question for a guy who got basically everything taken away from him, and his constantly reminded by his guardian that one slip up will land him juvenile hall. Were you mad at Joker? Were you screaming at him to turn around and do something? Were you asking yourself why he just left without saying a word? Those were the kinds of things I wanted to get out of you guys, and it definitely worked. Like I said, I got no issues for reactions and whatnot. However, the extra stuff where it's opinion based with no information... I just want to nip that bud before it grew into something bad.

For your Ryuji question, what would you like to know? Why do you ask?


	7. Testing Ann's Resolve

A/N: So, obviously you all can tell I changed my name. This is to make it easier to follow me on all of my handles, besides having like four different ones. And I can now pay homage to my three favourite characters in one name, I'll let you guys figure out who they are. Bonus points to whoever gets all three.

Also, happy Canada Day to my fellow Canadians.

And one last thing. It's the start of Shuann week. While I'm not directly participating in the prompts for the week, I highly encourage you guys to participate with liking and sharing the art, stories and so forth. I know quite a few people who have put in a lot of time and effort into making this week awesome for everyone, and know they would most definitely appreciate the support.

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Ann followed the group of boys out into the alley, taking cover around the corner to eavesdrop on their plan. She heard everything, none of it made any sense to her about stealing desires and this other world they were talking about, but they were obviously planning something.

**They really are going to do something... They're doing something on their phone? A name... School...?**

She tried to move a little closer to lessen the strain on her ears, and that's when it happened. Everything turned into this weird magenta haze, while the world around her became what she could only describe as distorted.

**Huh!?**

The last thing she seen was a pair of silver eyes staring at her, a hint of mischief in them, and a cocksure grin she's never seen before...

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"All right! Time to bust on through!" exclaimed Ryuji.

"What is this!?" cried out a familiar voice from the alley they emerged from.

While the other two were taken aback by her sudden appearance, Akira had already foreseen this encounter.

"T-Takamaki!?"

"That voice... Sakamoto!?" she then shifted her eyes over to the man wearing a three piece suit. "And... Akira!?"

"Wh-Wh-Why are you here!?"

Ann was asking herself the same question, among many others. Just what the hell was going on!? How can Akira look so nonchalant right now!? And just what was that random creepy stuffed animal behind him!?

"How should I know!?" Panic started to settle in as the situation developed. "What's going on? Hey, where are we...!? Isn't this the school!?"

"I see. Perhaps she was dragged in because of that app thing. If multiple people can enter with the person who uses it, it stands to reason it'll pull anyone nearby," surmised Morgana.

A good deduction indeed, since Akira intentionally made it so she would come to the Metaverse with them.

The puzzle pieces started to slowly come together for Ann after she got a chance to settle down a bit, "Wait, so THIS is related to Kamoshida!?" she asked while gesturing over to the ominous looking castle.

"Anyways, you gotta leave!" ushered Ryuji.

Seriously!? After she's come this far!?

She stomped her foot defiantly, "No!"

"The shadows are going to find us if you make a scene," warned Morgana.

That was when she realized that it wasn't some creepy stuffed animal, "No way! It talked!? Oh my god, it's a monster cat...!"

The so called "monster cat" could feel some of his life force diminish at the fair maiden's words, "Monster...?"

Ann walked up to Akira, who was silently watching the exchange, and pointed her finger at his chest, "You better explain what's going on! I-I won't leave until you do!"

He shelved his hands into his pockets, "What would you like to know?"

She wasn't expecting him to readily agree in all honesty, so she didn't really have a question prepared, "W-Well... What is this place, and what does it have to with Kamoshida?"

"This is the manifestation of Kamoshida's distorted desires, and we plan on taking them from him."

"Dude!?" cut in Ryuji, he couldn't believe that Akira was revealing their plan to her.

He waved him off, and brought his attention back to Ann, who was trying to process what he told her.

**Manifestation of his desires? This castle is the manifestation of his desires? **

**...**

**He does act like he's the king of the school, so this is just a physical representation of that...? Still, that doesn't explain why it's even here, or what stealing it would do. Besides, how could they steal a castle?**

"How do you plan on stealing his desires? Isn't that kinda impossible?"

Akira flicked her forehead at her airheadedness, something that caused Ann to puff her cheeks.

"Ow!" she yelped while rubbing the spot he flicked, "Hey! What was that-"

Her lips were suddenly sealed by an index finger; his index finger, those silver pools behind his mask freezing her in place.

"I want you to listen carefully to me," his voice was smooth, yet firm as he spoke.

She nodded dumbly against his finger.

"There's a Treasure hidden deep within his castle. The physical manifestation of his desires. We steal that, Kamoshida will confess his crimes and atone for his sins," he pulled his finger away. "That is why we are here."

All Ann could do was stare wide eyed at him, her mouth hung slightly agape.

She was totally stunned, utterly astounded, completely stupefied. All thoughts came to a screeching halt when he did THAT to her. She brought a finger to her lips, where the feeling of synthetic leather lingered, his touch lingered. The sensation caused her cheeks to turn a deep shade of crimson, her entire body suddenly feeling hot. Maybe she really was losing it...

She didn't even realize that she was being dragged away until it was too late.

"H-Hey," she stuttered, trying to form coherent thoughts. "W-Wait a- Ah!?"

Next thing she realized, was that she was back in the alley they teleported from. No Akira, no monster cat, no castle. Just the school, and her disorganized thoughts.

**W-What just happened?**

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"Damn, dude! What the hell was that about?"

Akira shrugged when they returned to the castle gates, "She said she'd leave if I told her what was going on."

Ryuji scratched the back of his head at the straightforward answer, he wasn't wrong... technically.

"Well, yeah... but..."

He looked over at Morgana. How could either of them bring up what they just witnessed?

"A-Anyways... We better be careful from now on when we use that app..."

Morgana quickly cast Ryuji an accusatory glare, "You should've checked the tools you used! Why do I—the one who was just watching—know more about it than you two!?"

"Sh-Shuddup!" stuttered the blonde when the feline hit him with a sound argument. "Geez, Takamaki found out right when we were startin' off... We gotta deal with this fast!"

"That girl's name is Ann Takamaki, right?" the cat inquired.

The two boys nodded.

Morgana then muttered to himself, something that Ryuji missed, but Akira caught.

_Lady Ann? _

...

They were just outside the entrance now.

"The shadows have noticed us. You better brace yourselves, got it?" Morgana then turned to face Akira. "We're counting on you, Joker!"

"Joker? That a nickname?" asked Ryuji.

"Don't refer to it in such a lame way," he huffed. "It's a code name. What kind of stupid phantom thief would use their real name!? I'm not down for that! And there's no telling what kind of effects yelling our real names will have on the Palace... It's just a precaution."

"So, why's he Joker?"

"Because he's our trump card when it comes to fighting strength."

Akira gave a nod of approval, "Not bad."

Even Ryuji had to give the cat props, "It ain't too bad, yeah?"

"Next up is you, Ryuji. You'll be... Let's see... 'Thug'."

And just like that, the praise he gave the cat went out the window.

"Are you pickin' a fight with me!? I'll choose it myself!

"Hm... When it comes to me, it's gotta be this mask. Honestly, I actually kind of like it. What if we named me after this?"

Morgana let out an exasperated sigh at Ryuji's simplemindedness, "Fine... Why not 'Skull' then?"

"Ooh! That sounds awesome! I'm Skull!"

Akira nodded, "It'll do."

"What do we do about this one's code name?"

"Got one in mind?"

Ryuji hummed, "...How 'bout 'Mona'?"

Morgana shrugged, "Well, if Joker thinks it's easier to call me that, then I'll go with it. All right. From here on out, we're Joker, Skull, and Mona. We need to be absolutely thorough about using these code names from now on!"

Skull pumped his fist, "All right! Let's go nab this Treasure thing!"

...

When they infiltrated the castle, they spotted a crowd gathered in the entrance hall.

"Praise be to King Kamoshida! Death to the intruders!" bellowed an armoured soldier.

The group decided to investigate further, so they listened in on the gathering.

"Those intruders the other day were quite entertaining. However, I can't allow that trash to ransack my castle! Strengthen the security! Kill them on sight! I'll reward whoever brings me their heads."

"Praise be to King Kamoshida! Death to the intruders!" the soldiers all declared in unison.

"Hey, Mona. Can't we just beat the crap outta him and call it a day?" asked Skull.

"Look at all those soldiers, idiot! It'd be suicide," scolded Mona. "And I'm sure you don't want a repeat of last time. Besides, don't you want him to confess his sins? There's no point in beating him up. We need to steal his materialized desires... The Treasure."

"Fiiiine. So, where is it?"

"We need to infiltrate further to find out."

As the three made their way through the halls, Mona stopped them when there was a guard patrolling by itself.

"Hmmm... This might be a good opportunity to teach you something... All right, Joker! Are you ready to take it down?"

The corners of his mouth tugged upwards as he ran up to the shadow and ripped its mask off. However, was unlike the shadows he encountered the other day, this one transformed into some sort of... pixie?

_So some shadows transform?_

"Shadows are beings born from people's hearts, so naturally, they can talk too. In other words, you can communicate with them. Get it?"

He nodded tersely.

Mona continued, "If you talk to them when they're cornered, they might offer money or items since they don't want to die. In fact, talking has a better chance of scoring something great, as opposed to just offing them. Well then, let's do the first step-"

"Yeah! Let's kick its ass!"

Skull charged in with his pipe and bludgeoned the pixie in the side of the head, ending the fight then and there.

The pixie shook her head to try and get the bells to stop ringing, "Seriously!? You guys are the intruders that King Kamoshida was talking about...? It can't get worse than this... What're you going to do with me!?"

Joker pointed his gun at the shadow's head, "Give me some money."

"Huh? So you'll let me live if I just give you money?"

Mona nodded at Joker in approval, "Well, something along those lines... Now let it be money or items. Just cough it up!"

The pixie panicked, "But, this happened so suddenly... I actually don't have anything on me... I-I usually do though, you know!?"

The cat reeled back at the unexpected revelation, "W-Wait, what? Oh... this isn't how I was planning this to go. Uh... Anyway, it can't be helped if that's the case. Time for you to go to hell."

"W-Wait!" cried out the pixie.

"Sorry, but we're in a hurry."

"No, wait up! Can't we work something out? Don't kill me, please! Won't you let me go?"

_This is a waste of time._

Joker readied his pistol, "You chose the wrong enemy."

"Wow... You're really confident," the pixie commented. "But I'm the same way. In any other situation, we'd get along really well. Whoa, I feel different! Something's happening!"

He could feel it too. His mask began to glow, something was beckoning within him to form a pact with this shadow.

Mona and Skull were filtered out as the once two assailants began to understand each other.

"...Oh yeah, I remember now! I don't belong just to King Kamoshida... I'm an existence that drifts about in the sea of humanity's souls... My real name... is 'Pixie'! From now on, I'll live inside your heart!"

A blue flame suddenly engulfed Pixie, before she turned into a mask that looked exactly like Joker's. The mask then floated towards Joker, where he sucked it into his own.

Mona's jaw dropped to the floor, "What was that just now...? What happened...!?"

Skull was also wearing a similar expression, "Wh-What the hell was that about? The enemy got sucked into Joker's mask!"

"I-I have no idea! I wasn't expecting that either..."

While the two were busy expressing their surprise to one another, Joker went off to fight the enemy they had just alerted due to the two... expressing their surprise to one another.

Switching to his newly acquired Persona. He used her lightning attack, Zio; something Arsene didn't have access to, to exploit Bicorn's weakness to electricity.

Just when Mona finally managed to close his mouth, it dropped again, "I-Is that the Shadow from earlier!? Don't tell me... Did you take in the Shadow's appearance and powers as a Persona!?"

Joker answered the stunned feline's question by forming a pact with Bicorn and fusing it with his mask after the light skirmish.

"H-Hey Mona!" stammered Skull. "What was that about!? What did Joker do?"

"He sealed the enemy's appearance and powers into his mask, and made it his new Persona... I've never seen anyone do it before... didn't even know it was possible!"

The idea to make pacts with enemy shadows only came to him after he found out they could transform into other Personas. Regardless, the potential behind this ability could lead to a perpetual advantage on the battlefield. Something to take into consideration moving forward.

"Only one heart exists per person," Mona continued. "So normally a person can only have one Persona! But this... this is incredible! Hehe, I like you even more now! I really do have someone special on my hands!"

"Let's keep moving," Joker suggested. As much as he'd LOVE to hear these two rant and rave about his new ability, they had work to do.

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Ann was pissed. After taking a few minutes to collect herself, that was the best word to describe what she was feeling right now.

**Ooh, when I see him again I am SO going to give him a piece of my mind!**

He had played her like a damn fiddle, and she knew it too. How could she possibly prepare herself when he did something like THAT to her!? Now, she was back in the real world with no way back.

Or so she thought.

When she pulled out her phone to kill time while waiting for him to return, she noticed a weird looking app pop up on her screen.

**What's with this thing? It looks so creepy.**

The app suddenly opened itself.

**Is this some kind of virus!? Oh god! Don't tell me my phone's been hacked** **!**

However, there was something she noticed that turned worry, into curiosity.

**A bookmark? But I've never used this app before.**

She checked the bookmark.

"Kamoshida... Pervert... Castle... Shujin Academy..."

**Kamoshida!? Could this be related to that weird place they went to?**

There was only one way to find out. Ann wasn't ready to back down yet, she'd show Akira exactly what she's made of.

...

**This is that place from earlier...! Now, where did those two-**

"Princess!?" an unknown voice suddenly called out to her.

"Huh?"

When she looked up from her phone, she could see three armoured knights running towards her shouting, "Princess!"

"Aaaaaaaaah!" she screamed while trying to run away, although it was in vain.

"You've finally shown yourself," one of them said before picking her up over its shoulder. "King Kamoshida will be pleased."

"King Kamoshida!? Hey! What do you mean by that!?"

The three of them chuckled, "You'll see..."

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While Mona, Skull, and Joker were discussing a plan of attack, something completely unexpected happened.

Joker suddenly felt a pair of arms drape themselves around his neck, and a pair of soft lips peck his cheek.

"Long time, no see," cooed a familiar voice.

_Why is she here? _

Mona and Skull both looked at him with a puzzled and stunned expression.

"Joker?"

"W-Why is Takamaki here, didn't we send her back!? And why is she dressed like that!?"

Any woman wearing a bathing suit in a place like this would strike as odd. Then again, Skull was never good at hiding his intentions...

The cognitive version of Ann wagged her finger at the other two, "Sorry boys, but I need to borrow him for a bit. It's important."

_Oh?_

The gears in his head started to turn.

_She wouldn't have come here for no reason, not at the risk of being captured by Kamoshida. I doubt she's bluffing._

He looked down at her, where he was met a sultry smile and a wink.

"I'll meet up with you two later."

Mona was quick to protest, "You can't seriously be thinking of leaving with her! Who knows what she'll do to you when you're by yourself!"

"Y-Yeah... What he said..." Skull was having a hard time focusing because of two reasons, and they were pressing themselves right up against Joker.

"I'll be fine. Besides..." he tilted his head towards her, "You think she's going to take no for an answer?"

She giggled when the two boys looked over at her, "Nope!"

Mona couldn't help but shake his head. Everything was going so smoothly, why in the hell did this have to happen? Was it even possible for cognitive beings to think for themselves? From what he understood, they acted in accordance to how the ruler perceives them. So he figured she was going to lead Joker into some kinda trap, but he's saying she won't!? It was a gamble, one he didn't want to take. Unfortunately, it seemed like she wasn't leaving them with a choice in the matter, and Joker seemed confident that no harm would come to him.

The cat let out a defeated sigh, "Damnit...!"

"For real? We're just gonna let this happen?"

"Glad you can see to reason!" she cheered. "I didn't want to have to hurt you two boys."

Joker recalled their first encounter in that maze. She definitely tried to kill him, and no doubt would leave some nasty bruises or perhaps worse if Mona and Skull didn't agree to her terms. She was cunning, he had to give her that.

She looked up at him, "Ready?"

He nodded.

And with the snap of her finger, they vanished...

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In some seemingly secluded part of the castle...

"Alright, so why did you drag me here?"

"You remember what I told you before? About me... and Kamoshida?"

How could he forget?

He nodded.

"Well..." she averted her gaze from him, looking through the metal grating towards the scene below.

"Is this some kind of filming!? Who's in charge here!?" screamed a familiar voice.

_It couldn't be..._

"What's all this about!? Seriously, I'm gonna call the cops!"

Joker followed her eyes trajectory, and seen that Ann was tied up on a cross whilst surrounded by Kamoshida and several guards.

"She's already back here?" he asked rhetorically.

When he brought his gaze back towards Ann's cognitive self, he noticed how her attire was changing. Slowly morphing from that innocent white bathing suit from before into something far more vulgar.

"It's already started. Once I'm his, I'll be beyond salvation. You remember those words... don't you?" she muttered with her head down.

...

"So, this is the intruder."

"Kamoshida!?" Ann was in shock, he was here!? "What is this place!? Why's the school turned into something like this!?"

...

"Why bring just me here? Why bring me here at all?" he asks. "You're under no obligation to."

She cupped his cheek, "It's as I said. Only you can do this, only you can make her—make me—see the light. If you choose to do nothing..." she stepped back, revealing the transformation that was happening to her once more. "You know the rest..."

...

"Are you afraid?" asked Kamoshida.

"What is that outfit...? Have you lost your mind?"

Seeing him in that pink speedo made her want to vomit.

Seriously, this wasn't funny anymore. There were no signs of Akira anywhere, and this was starting to feel like more than just some weird hallucination. Here she was, tied up and helpless against a guy who had been lusting after her body for weeks. Ann could feel herself begin to panic as the reality of her situation began to settle in.

"I do as I please here. After all, this is my castle... The world of my desires."

"This isn't funny! Enough of the bullshit, Kamoshida!"

"What a lively slave. You know... talking about is a serious crime around here. In fact, it's punishable... by death! Hahaha!"

Ann gasped.

**D-Death!? Is he serious!?**

...

"So... what'll it be...?" she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Will you forsake me, or will you save me? Clock's ticking, Joker."

...

"Now then, how should I play with you? Should I tear you into little pieces? Maybe, I'll start with your clothes."

"Are you kidding me...?"

Kamoshida gave her a sleazy grin, "I bet you're just like those thieves. You came because you're pissed at me, huh? But, ah... I forget that chick's name, but it's your fault she jumped, you know."

Ann's eyes grew wide, "Huh...?"

"You were so reluctant to throw yourself onto me that I had her take your place."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Did that mean...?

Her eyes burned holes through Kamoshida when she realized what he implied, "You bastard!"

One of the soldiers brought a sword to her neck.

"No! Don't!"

"No one is coming to save you. Give it up!" he then eyed her with that slimy perverted gaze of his. "Perhaps, I'll have some fun with you beforehand. That'll teach you."

Ann slumped against the shackles that bound her.

"Is this... my punishment for what happened to Shiho...?"

She couldn't believe it. Shiho went through all that suffering because she couldn't go through with being Kamoshida's girl. If only she had just endured it, maybe Shiho...

Kamoshida clapped his hands, "That's more like it. You should've looked like this from the start."

Ann closed her eyes, ready to accept her fate, "Shiho... I'm so sorry..."

She suddenly heard somebody crying out in pain, followed by three more screams of agony. When Ann opened her eyes, she could see the back of a familiar sweeping black trench coat between her and Kamoshida, as well as the four lifeless bodies scattered throughout the room.

"A-Akira!? W-what-"

He was quick to cut her off, "Are you just going to listen to him?"

"Huh...?"

"I thought you were better than this, Takamaki. I thought you wanted to put an end to his crimes, to stand up for yourself. To prove your strength to not only Shiho, but to yourself."

"I-I do!" she stammered. "But-"

He turned to face her, "Bullshit! If that was the case, then you wouldn't be in this position! Tell me... What are you going to do? Will you stand up for yourself, or will continue being Kamoshida's plaything?"

Ann couldn't believe what she was hearing. Where was the quiet and reserved Akira from before? He was like a totally different person all of a sudden, not that she minded... In fact, he reminded her of something important. Her reason for coming here in the first place, the reason why she followed him into the Metaverse, the reason why she came back after he kicked her out.

There was a fire in those silver pools of his that she had never seen before, and before she knew it, she could feel something stoke within her as well.

"...You're right. Letting this piece of shit toy with me... What was I thinking...!?"

He walked up to her and stared into her eyes, challenging her with his own fiery resolve, "What will you do?"

Ann's eyes turned yellow when she matched his intense gaze, "I've had enough of this..." She looked over his shoulder to Kamoshida, who was looking at them with that usual sleazy grin of his. "You've pissed me off, you son of a bitch!"

She suddenly felt her head surge in pain.

"My... it's taken far too long," called out a sultry voice within her. "Tell me... Who is going to avenge her if you don't? Forgiving him was never the option...

"Such is the scream of the other you that dwells within..."

**The other me? **

"I am thou, thou art I... We can finally forge a contract..."

It finally made sense to her. Her other self, her true feelings... What was she thinking? If anyone was to enact change in her life, it was going to be her! She wasn't going to let scum like Kamoshida dictate how she lived her life anymore! She wasn't going to endure jack shit anymore!

"I hear you... Carmen," a red panther mask appeared on her face when she looked back up at Akira. "You're right. No more holding back...!"

She noticed the cocksure grin on his face, something that ignited her even further as she began forcibly prying her arms and legs out of the binds that constrained her.

"There you go... Nothing can be solved by restraining yourself. Understand? Then I'll gladly lend you my strength."

Once she broke free of her constraints, she tore away the last thing that was holding her back. The thing that she cowered behind all this time.

Her mask.

When she emerged from the blue flames, Akira noticed two things. The femme fatale like Persona behind Ann, and the change of outfit. She was now wearing a skin-tight red latex catsuit. It had a cleavage cutout and three zippers; one on each breast and one between them that ran down the length of her body. She also was wearing pink gloves, maroon thigh-high boots, and a clipped on tail on the back of her catsuit.

Ann looked past him over to the man that nearly took everything from her, "You know what? I'm not some cheap girl you can toy with... you scumbag," she hissed.

"Bitch...!" he spat back.

"You stole everything from Shiho... You destroyed her... Now it's your turn!" she pointed at him with a menacing glare. "I will rob you of everything!"

"Guards! Take care of these two lowlifes!"

Six more of Kamoshida's men suddenly appeared.

"How dare you! Enough of your insolence!" the captain spoke.

"No, I've had enough of you. No one's gonna stop me now!" she then sported a grin almost identical to Akira's. "Let's go, Carmen!"

"How dare you deny King Kamoshida's love, you selfish lass!? Pay for this insolence with your life!"

"That dirtbag just sees women as sexual outlets! Don't make me laugh with that 'love' bullshit!" she then looked over at Akira and snapped her whip. "C'mon, Akira. Let's give 'em hell!"

His own grin only grew wider, "Show me what you got!"

Ann was the first to press the attack, lassoing her whip around one the shadows neck and throwing it over towards Akira.

"Akira!"

The man clad in black caught onto her plan, and caught the shadow in question with the barrel of his gun stuffed in its mouth before emptying the clip down its throat. He then stunned another guard by throwing his gun like a tomahawk at its forehead, then using Pixie to strike it down with Zio.

Bringing his attention back over to Ann, she was engaged in a 1vs1 while unaware that another enemy was about to flank her. Switching over to Arsene, he cast Eiha to melt the guard in curse magic, giving Ann the opening to use Agi on her whip; that had ensnared itself around the guard's arm, to incinerate it to ash.

"Takamaki!" her eyes darted over to Akira, where he had his hand in the air. "Whip!"

She snapped her whip at him, which he caught with ease, jumped on his assailant's shoulders and wrapped the end of the whip around its neck. Ann then began to pull the whip back towards her while the shadow squirmed in fear. Unfortunately for the shadow, she was in a bad mood, a real bad mood. Its fate had already been sealed. Once she dragged the shadow back towards her, she picked it up by the head and cast Agi. In an instant, the guard was turned to a pile of ash.

"God! This feels good!" she exclaimed after the fact.

The two reunited side by side as the captain began to transform.

"What's happening to it?"

"It's turning into its true form, which is more powerful than what we just fought."

After the transformation, the two were facing off against a demon that was sitting on... a toilet?

Ann couldn't help but cringe, "It's so creepy!"

"Creepy or not, let's take it down," Akira then held out his hand towards her. "Can you trust me?"

When she looked into those silver orbs, they gave her a similar feeling to what she felt back in Shibuya. The only difference was that this time she wasn't going to hesitate!

She grabbed his hand, "Yes."

What happened next? She should've been terrified, should've taken back what she said. But she didn't. She trusted Akira, she trusted him with her life. He gave her life new meaning, gave her a reason to stop holding herself back. He was the reason why she fighting along side him confronting her inner demons, and not in Kamoshida's bed enduring whatever torture he'd inflict on her.

Akira spun her around, and threw her at the demon.

It was weird. She had never used a whip before, never fought anyone before... Hell, the only way she could describe this experience was "mind-fucking". How in the world could she explain what transpired here without someone thinking she had absolutely lost it? Fighting inter-dimensional demons? Wielding the power of Persona? It was ludicrous!

Yet...

It felt totally right. Being here with Akira, awakening Carmen, taking back what Kamoshida stole from her, and avenging Shiho... It all felt so fucking right! To hell with what other people thought! Ann was going to make the most of the here and now!

She landed on the demon's face and knocked it over.

"Squeal like a pig!"

She then dug the heel of her boot into its nose before repeatedly whipping it while it simply lay there stunned. Once the demon was on its last legs, Ann called forth Carmen, and used Agi to finish it off. The screams echoed throughout the room as its flesh melted away, but Ann never relented. This was but a taste of the hell she was put through, she felt no pity or remorse whatsoever.

"To think... there would be a woman... who could stand up to King Kamoshida..." gurgled the demon as its life faded away.

Ann flicked one of her twin tails, "Pff, outside of school, that guy's nothing but a pathetic loser!"

She then turned her attention to the man in question, who was trembling in fear near the the exit.

"Oh shit...!" he cried before making his escape.

Ann was quick to give chase, except... her legs gave out.

**No! Not now! **

"Wait...!"

She wasn't done with him yet!

However, her body couldn't take anymore after the first awakening.

She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, "You did well, Takamaki."

It was then that the adrenaline began to wear off, and the questions from before started to surface again, "Wait... Where in the world are we...!?" Before he could answer, she finally realized her change of clothes. "H-Huh...? Why am I dressed like this!? When did I-"

**It's so revealing! Why does it feel so tight!? This is so embarrassing, if anyone were-**

And that was when she became conscious of who exactly was with her.

"Ugh, what's with this!?" Ann cried out as she tried to cover herself.

**Of course he of all people would see me like this!**

"A search party will likely be coming for us soon. I don't have time to explain. Let's retreat for now," he offered his hand once again. "Give me your arm."

"Fine, but you're going to explain yourself fully this time! I won't let you get away with the stunt you pulled last time!"

They began walking back to the entrance.

"Oh? And what exactly, did I get away with?"

Was he serious?

"You know, with how you-" she suddenly stopped herself mid-sentence and glanced over at Akira, who was looking at her coyly.

**He knows exactly what he did!**

She cleared her throat as her cheeks burned a deep crimson from her near slip up, luckily they were hidden behind her mask, "You know what you did. You cheated!"

"I was testing you," he retorted.

Her thoughts quickly shifted focus.

"Testing me?"

"If you lacked the resolve to fight against the distortion of this world, you would've died. I needed to see how far you were willing to go for your justice. My apologies if I came across as... insensitive."

"So you were just looking out for me..."

"I wasn't expecting all of back there to have happened though," he admitted. "I'm sorry."

Her eyes grew wide at the unexpected apology.

Why was he apologizing? If anything, she should've been apologizing to him.

"N-Nonono," she stammered. "I should be the one apologizing, I got myself captured and-"

"It's fine, Ann. You don't have to apologize."

It was the first time he used her first name, something that caused her heart to flutter.

"Hey," she cupped his cheek with her free hand. "If it wasn't for you, who knows what would've happened to me back there."

It was true. Before he showed up, she had resigned herself to her fate.

Ann continued, "I shudder to think what would've happened to me if you didn't show up. Without you, I never would've strengthened my resolve, awakened Carmen, believed that I could stand up against HIM. I owe you so much, so..."

She looked away and dropped her hand when she realized what she was saying and doing. Perhaps she was getting a little too confident.

"Thank you... For saving me..." she mumbled sheepishly.

He gave her a reserved smile in reply, something that only made the heat rise on her cheeks even further.

Nothing more was said between them as they walked in amiable silence towards the entrance.

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After Ryuji and Morgana explained how they got mysteriously teleported back to the entrance when they were in the middle of looking for Akira. Ryuji turned towards Ann, who was still leaning on Akira for support, with his arms crossed and a look of disapproval.

"Why'd you come here, man!? And more importantly, how!?"

"Hey! Is that how you speak to a woman!?" scolded Morgana. "Are you all right, Lady Ann!?"

Her nose scrunched up at the cat's words, "Lady Ann...? Wait, what is this thing? Is it alive...? How can it talk?"

The vulgar blonde scratched his head in irritation, "We were just gettin' fired up, and you had to go and get in the way..."

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"Which one you want" asked Ryuji, holding a beverage in each hand.

"Whichever's not carbonated."

"Uh, they're both actually."

She sighed and took the more mainstream brand, carbonated drinks were not something her stomach agreed with. Coffee was more her thing.

"...Have you calmed down, Lady Ann?" asked Morgana.

Once they returned to the real world, true to his word, Akira and Morgana explained everything they knew about the Metaverse and what their plan was.

"Um... Morgana, right? I really am talking to a cat... This feels so strange... Oh, sorry! You're not a cat, right?"

"It's only natural that you're confused. Demanding that you understand all of this right after what you went through is asking too much."

Akira could see the cat's intentions plain as day, especially considering the way he acted towards their situation when they got first trapped in the Metaverse. Now all of a sudden he was being considerate and understanding? Yeah... Okay...

"Honestly, I still can't believe what happened... And that power... my Persona..."

"It's the will of your rebellion, Lady Ann. With it, you'll be able to fight in that other world."

She looked over at Akira, "So if what you told me is true, we can make Kamoshida have a change of heart, right? Is it really possible...? Can we actually force him to confess his crimes?"

It all sounded far-fetched to her, however, all of her doubts were washed away when he said one word.

"Yes."

Ryuji added his two cents as well, "The volleyball team's keepin' quiet about this, while teachers and parents turn a blind eye. If guys like us try to complain, they're just gonna shoot us down. Goin' all in on this plan is the only choice we got."

"Then let me help too. I want to make him pay for what happened to Shiho. He just keeps going like nothing happened, even after what he did to her... I'll never forgive him."

"Wait, did you just say, 'let me help'? You mean, you want us to take you along?"

She glared at Ryuji, "Don't act like I'm going to drag you down. I can fight too."

He delegated to Akira, something she didn't expect from the stubborn blonde, "Hey, what should we do?"

He glanced at Ann, who was now looking at him with that same fiery determination he saw when she awakened her Persona.

"She'll be great," he said matter-of-factly, which caused Ann's expression to soften, and a smile to show itself on her lips.

"I agree as well," chimed in Morgana. "We are lacking in manpower, after all. Don't worry, I'll protect her."

Akira rolled his eyes at the cat, while Ann returned to glaring at Ryuji, "Even if you said no, I'd just go in alone."

That confession was something Akira anticipated, which also influenced his decision to let her join, albeit slightly. As much as he appreciated her fiery spirit, going in alone for her would be suicide. In all honesty, that whole situation where he managed to save her was a total stroke of luck. So if there was no one there to back her up if things went south again...

He'd never forgive himself.

"Oh right, she can go by herself... I guess it'd be more dangerous turnin' her down... Rgh, fine..."

"Then it's decided. Well, I hope we get along!" she returned her gaze to Akira. "I'm going to make Kamoshida atone for what he did. Not just for Shiho's sake... but for everything he's done. I won't let any more people suffer because of him. I'll do whatever it takes!"

This was now more than a personal vendetta. She was going to right her wrongs, undo the misfortune that befell Akira because of her, and stop this madness before it got any more out of control. She was going to face her demons head on, and no longer hide behind a wall of excuses!

_I am **thou**, thou art I..._

_Thou hast acquired a **new** vow._

_It shall **become** the wings of rebellion _

_that **breaketh** thy chains of captivity._

_With the birth of the Lovers Persona, _

_I have obtained the winds of **blessing** that_

_shall lead to freedom and **new** power..._

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A/N: Quick note, I don't think I'll ever get over the fact that "Last Surprise" is the default battle music for Persona 5. I've played some games that had excellent music in battles. NieR, Destiny, Metal Gear Rising, Hyrule and Fire Emblem Warriors, Smash Bros... However, this song gets me every time. So for the fight scene with Ann and Akira, I recommend putting on this classic.

Make sure to leave a like, comment, and share to show your support. And as always... See you guys in the next chapter.


	8. Palace Preparations

A/N: I apologize for the later upload. I've been having a depressive episode for the last few weeks, and last week in particular I was feeling lower than I felt in years, so I needed to step back for a bit and clear my mind. Writing helps me cope with that, but there's only so much you can do when you're fighting a war within your mind each day. Anyways, I won't dive into it as my problems are irrelevant here, but I am feeling better than I did last week.

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"I'll be counting on you," Ann said to Akira before heading home.

Once she left for her train, Morgana couldn't help but speak his mind on the blonde haired wonder.

"What a kind girl... Such admirable consideration for others... And the innocence to cast herself into the jaws of death to achieve her goal... She cares about her friends, and she's beautiful to boot. What a girl! She's captured my heart..."

_Uh huh... Keep telling yourself that._

"You know, it'd be better if this group could get together quick from now on..." commented Ryuji.

Morgana shared the same sentiment, "True. Our best option would be to make a secret hideout where we could discuss these things."

"A hideout, huh...?" the corners of his mouth tugged upward with a hint of mischief. "I like the sound of that."

"The school rooftop would work... It seems like nobody would go up there. For the time being, that will make the perfect hideout."

Akira shrugged apathetically. As long as they remained inconspicuous, he didn't care where they made the hideout.

The cat continued, "I can't contact you from inside a Palace, so I'll stay in this world. That being said, I'll need someone to take care of me." he then looked over at Akira. "I'm personally nominating you. You should feel honoured."

"You're not staying with me," he replied flatly.

"What? Why not!?"

The genuine shock the feline showed irritated him.

"Why would I? You tell me."

"Well... I..."

There wasn't any valid argument that Morgana could come up with. He had just assumed that there would be no issues.

"There's no way he can stay at my place," Ryuji adds. "Anyways, let's meet at the new hideout tomorrow, yeah?" he says before leaving.

And then there were two...

"This wasn't how I planned this to go..."

_Of course he didn't. He would expect me to take him in no questions asked. _

"There's many reasons why you can't, and that's the end of it. You'll have to find your own arrangements."

Surprisingly enough, Morgana didn't argue it.

"I guess it IS asking a bit much for someone to take me in out of the blue. Besides, not like I need any of you guys to support me anyways... Yeah! I can manage just fine on my own!"

_And there it is._

He began to walk away, but not before saying, "I'll see you at the hideout tomorrow. Don't forget."

Akira simply nodded in reply, and the two went their separate ways.

Did he come off as cold? Perhaps, but he was under no obligation to take care of Morgana, who was doing just fine prior to reentering the Metaverse. Also, considering what he's been through, and the fact that Sojiro was looking for an excuse to kick him out didn't help his case. And that was on top of his pretentious attitude, something that Akira wasn't going to put up with. He felt no sympathy towards Morgana's situation, nor should he.

And that was that.

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Ann: Thanks for everything today.

Ann: I know I thanked you before, but I wanted to say it again.

Akira: Don't worry about it.

Ann: Well, I am.

Ann: Anyways, I just wanted to let you know...

Ann: See you tomorrow.

He'd likely never know the impact he's had on her, but Ann didn't mind. She was just glad that things turned out the way they did.

**I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of each other now, huh? **

The thought caused butterflies to flutter in her stomach. She was excited and nervous and so many other things. She wanted to make sure she didn't drag the team down, but she also felt like she could actually accomplish her goal with her newly acquired power. That moment after her Persona's awakening was unlike any experience she's ever had.

And at the centre of it all.

An unkempt, raven haired boy flashing her a cocksure grin then entered her mind.

She clutched her phone against her chest as she looked out her bedroom window.

**I wonder what he's doing right now?**

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"Good morning!" Ann greeted Akira when he reached his seat before morning class.

He lazily waved back before slumping down onto his desk.

Ann giggled, "Not much of a morning person?"

A sluggish nod was all she would receive for a reply.

She pumped her fist, "Well, let's do our best today!"

_How in the world did she get all this energy?_

If only he knew...

...

While class was still in session, he heard his phone buzz.

Ryuji: Hey, we're meeting up at the hideout after school, right?

Ann: Don't text now. We're in class.

Ryuji: Whoa! You mean you're actually listening to all this crap?

Ann: Yeah, but none of it is really sticking today...

There was a lot on her mind, obviously.

Ryuji: I know, right?

Ryuji: Anyways, hideout after school?

Ann: Where exactly is this "hideout"?

Ryuji: The school roof.

Ann: Wait, we can still go up there?

Ryuji: Yeah, I'll let you in.

Ryuji: Welp, I'll be waiting. Just come on up after school's over.

"Hey, Kurusu!" yelled Mr. Ushimaru. "You! Pay attention! Is that how you listen when someone's talking to you!?"

Ann knew what was coming, she had seen this story before. It never ended well for the person in question when Ushimaru had his sights set on someone. It made her wonder how someone could throw chalk so accurately and with such power. She looked back at Akira, who looked totally out of it.

**Did he not hear the teacher? At this rate-**

She suddenly felt a gust of wind by her ear, and her eyes shot wide with worry.

However, her worries were seemingly for naught as Akira caught the chalk, walked up to the teacher to give it back, then returned to his seat acting like nothing happened.

**W-What?**

"Tch. Well whatever. Kids these days have no respect for their elders."

Ann continued to stare at Akira completely nonplussed.

**Just how did he-**

"Ow!" she yelped, rubbing the part of her forehead where the chalk made contact.

"You too, Takamaki! Quit making googly eyes at Kurusu and pay attention!"

Ann's cheeks turned a deep shade of crimson as she quickly turned herself back towards the front. If getting smoked in the forehead wasn't bad enough, everything went ten times worse when he called her out like that. How could she have been so careless?

Embarrassed couldn't even begin to describe how she was feeling now. And hearing some of the whispers circle around the room didn't help either.

**Stupid, stupid, stupid!**

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"Looks like we're all here," Ryuji says once Akira arrives at the hideout. "Um... Takamaki?"

"Sh-Shut it!" she stuttered. "Can we just carry on with the meeting?"

Ever since that incident in the morning, it became increasingly difficult for her to face Akira again. After all, Mr. Ushimaru blurted out to everyone what she was doing, no doubt he heard it as well. It was the hot topic of discussion for the entire morning, too.

Ann had never buried her face in a book more than she has today.

**Now he probably thinks I'm weird or-**

She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, snapping her back to reality, "Everything all right, Takamaki?"

"Yup!" she replied a little too quickly. He was too close right now, WAY too close, and the way he was looking at her wasn't-

"M'kay, let's get goin'!" declares Ryuji, breaking her from her thoughts.

For once, she was thankful for his absentmindedness.

"Hold on, it's still too early for us to head to the Palace," stated Morgana.

"But why? Don't we just gotta steal that Treasure thing?"

"Don't underestimate the dangers of that place. We need to prepare."

Ryuji scoffs, "Ain't that Persona shit we got enough to deal with it?"

"That's exactly what I mean when I say don't underestimate it. You'll die if you mess up in there."

Something that all three of them knew. It wasn't like a video game where they get to respawn or load a checkpoint. No, it was curtains for real if they messed up.

Morgana continued, "So again, we need to prepare before we head in."

"But... how exactly are we supposed to do that?" asked Ann.

"I'm glad you asked, Lady Ann. First, we'll need to find better equipment for all of you."

"You talkin' about weapons? I know a kick-ass place!" Ryuji informs.

"In that case, you can handle that side of things. The only other thing would be stocking up on medicine. Fatigue is unavoidable in a Palace..."

Ann asks the obvious question, "And where can we get medicine?"

To everyone's surprise, Akira suddenly headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"There's some business in Yongen I just remembered that I need to take care of, so I'm off. Don't worry about the medicine, I'll handle it."

The three exchanged glances before ultimately deciding to end the meeting for the day. Their next course of action set.

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"...Is this your first visit? Hm? I feel like I've seen you somewhere before..."

He happened to run into the doctor yesterday at Leblanc after returning home. Sojiro later gave him the scoop that she was apparently a doctor that would prescribe meds after simple examinations. Something that any normal person would find suspicious, but something he thinks could be a blessing in disguise for their ventures into the Metaverse.

"Hmmm... Well, whatever... So, what are you here for today?" she asked.

"My body feels lethargic," he answers simply.

The languid doctor squinted her eyes at him for a moment before sighing, "... Fine. Please head to the exam room."

He gave her a story about how upcoming exams are weighing him down, and how this job he has applies a lot of strain on him. Something to give him an in.

She nodded throughout his explanation while aimlessly jotting down notes, "...In a case like yours, it's usually just due to stress. I'm going to prescribe you some pain relievers, OK?" she pauses. "Actually, I still need to restock those... So let's go with sleeping pills instead. Sleep is the best medicine anyway. Which type of pill do you want, a sweet tasting one or a bitter one?"

Akira knew that this was a trick question, and the fact that she doesn't have any painkillers in stock is a big red flag as well. What kind of doctor let's medication run so low that they change the prescription?

_She must've seen through me. Guess it's time for plan B._

He leans forward in his chair and brings his hands under his chin, "We may as well stop beating around the bush."

She smirks at him, "My thoughts exactly. You aren't sick at all are you? Why don't you tell me why you're really here."

"I've heard rumours about you. I'm trying to see if they're true, for my own reasons."

"Who's to say? But as a result, all I get are patients with ulterior motives now."

_Not surprising._

She continues, "I guess high school kids have it tough nowadays too, huh? Well, fine. I'll prescribe you some medication."

His brows furrowed.

_Even after knowing that I have an ulterior motive? Just like that?_

"But only medication that will help recover your health," she added. "I guess it's fine. You seem pretty earnest, and you don't look like you'll be any trouble."

_Looks like my hunch was correct._

"This is my private practice," she says. "All the medicine I dispense is original. I have a licence to make my own formulas. You've likely seen them being sold at various hospitals.

"It's your responsibility to take care of yourself. So if that's OK with you, stop by anytime."

He nods, "Glad that we understand each other."

She points her clip board at him and winks, "Great. It's nice that you're so quick on the uptake... Saves me the hassle.

"You're a pretty weird kid, you know? I wonder what you're going to use the medicine for..."

If only she knew.

She shrugs, "Well, as long as you don't cause me any trouble, it's not my problem... Oh, it's Takemi by the way. Dr. Takemi"

"Akira Kurusu, but you already knew that."

Takemi chuckles at his cheeky response, "Here's what I can give you."

...

Before leaving the clinic after stockpiling on some much needed medicine, he overhears a conversation between Takemi and the man he bumped into when he left the exam room.

_Super stimulant, huh?_

His phone buzzes on the walk home.

Ryuji: You know there's a shop in Shibuya that sells model guns.

Ryuji: I'd be glad to take you there if you want.

Akira: I'll pass.

Ryuji: Don't leave me hanging man!

Ryuji: You're still new to the area, right? It'll be a good opportunity to show you around some.

Ann: Hey, I can't make it. Can I trust you guys to check the place out for me?

Ryuji: You can't come?

Ann: Not tomorrow.

Ann: I made plans to go see Shiho in the hospital.

Ryuji: Ah, gotcha.

Ryuji: Don't worry, we got this.

Ryuji: Well, seeya in Shibuya, Akira! I'll be in front of the station!

_I'm pretty sure I said I didn't want to go... So how did I end up getting dragged into going?_

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"You know what you want yet?" asked the Surly Manager of the gun shop.

"What would you recommend?" Akira answers with a question of his own.

"...You lookin' for recommendations?"

He nods.

The manager swirled the lollipop in his mouth, "...I dunno, just buy whatever looks interestin' to you."

"Ugh, some customer service..." Ryuji mutters under his breath a little too loudly.

The manager gives the blonde an annoyed look, "Fine, whaddya want? An automatic? A revolver?"

"Uh, automatic...? Dude, why're you talkin' about cars now!?"

Even Akira couldn't stop himself from giving Ryuji an "are you for real?" look.

"Listen, this here's an enthusiast shop. My regulars'll be mad if I let a casual like you hang around."

"I'm not a freakin' causal!" Ryuji fired back. "I bought shit from here like, last week!"

"Huh, can't remember you," he replies whilst not looking up from his newspaper.

"You bastard..."

Ignoring the blonde, he turns his attention to Akira, "And you? Lookin' for somethin'?"

"Something that looks real," he answers, indifferent.

"...Oh? You guys plannin' a nice big bank robbery or somethin'?"

"Th-That ain't it!" stutters Ryuji at the wild accusation. "We just like how they look, is all!"

He looks to Ryuji then back to Akira, smiles, then shakes his head, "Anyways... you shoulda said before you two're enthusiasts. I'm always up for helpin' fresh faces.

"Some precautions first though. Don't go 'round pointing 'em at other people. Keep 'em in a bag or somethin' if you're outside. Oh, and don't let the fuzz catch wind of you having 'em. I don't need them comin' around here."

Akira adjusts his glasses, "We're aware."

The manager grins, "That right? Now, if you look close, you'll be able to tell these're models. Real guns feel... different. Maybe someday I'll show you the real good stuff though... If you got the balls, of course.

"...But for now, you get the beginner selection. Just sit tight, I'll bring 'em out."

When the manager leaves around the back, Ryuji nudges his arm, "...We did it, dude!"

_Are you sure that it was we?_

"We totally got to go for some fancy shit, right? I want 'em to shine!"

"Let's just see what we can get."

...

He buys a gun for each of them. A pistol for himself, a shotgun for Ryuji, and a smg for Ann. Nothing crazy, just your standard everyday models. Something to get the job done, for now. He would've gotten Morgana something, but he seemed content on using his slingshot, so he didn't bother.

Once the exchange is complete and they're out of the store, Akira heads for the subway.

"Goin' home already?" asks Ryuji.

He nods, "Got some things to do."

"Later then."

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Upon returning to Leblanc, he felt his phone go off.

Ann: So, I went to see Shiho in the hospital...

_Oh? _

Akira: How is she?

Ann: Her condition is serious.

Ann: They don't know when she'll regain consciousness... if at all...

Was he too late in saving her? He remembered that she did lose a lot of blood...

Akira: I'm sure she'll be OK.

The last thing he wanted to do was put her in a constant state of worry.

Ann: Yeah.

Ann: She'll get better, I know it.

Ann: I just need to believe in her.

He admired her way of thinking.

_Hopefully that's enough, Takamaki._

Ann: But... I'll never forgive Kamoshida. He's going to pay for what he did, no matter what.

Akira: We'll take him down, together.

Ann: Yeah!

Ann: Anyway... see you at school tomorrow.

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When Akira arrived at school the next day, there was a familiar face waiting for him at the school gate.

"Good morning," says Kamoshida dryly.

Akira doesn't respond as he walks past him, however, that doesn't stop the gym teacher from trying to provoke him.

"...That admirable behaviour won't do you any good once your expelled."

He stops to speak over his shoulder, "...That admirable behaviour won't do you any good when you're behind bars."

"What was that?"

Akira turns around and gives him a bright smile, "Let's do our best today, Sennnsei!"

...

When Akira enters class, Ann greets him with a beaming smile, "Good morning!"

He lazily waves at her in reply.

"Geez!" she puffs her cheeks. "Can't you try and be a little more cheerful?"

He gives her a thumbs up, and a smile that looked so forced, that she couldn't stop herself from giggling.

"Much better!"

Their phones suddenly go off in unison.

"I wonder who that could be?" Ann asks sarcastically as she pulls out her phone. Slightly annoyed at the fact she was interrupted while trying to have a conversation with Akira.

Ryuji: So I saw Kamoshida at the school gate this morning.

Ryuji: He was just standing there looking at me with this shit-eating grin on his face.

Ann looks up at Akira, who simply nods back, answering her silent question.

**Damn that bastard! Does that loser really got nothing better to do but pick on those two before school? Talk about childish.**

Ann: Ugh, that's annoying... He was probably mocking you.

Ryuji: Honestly, seeing that got me even more fired up about this.

Ann: Yeah. I'm worried about Shiho, but I want to concentrate on our operation too.

Ann: And I won't let myself get exhausted like last time.

Ryuji: The board meeting's May 2nd, right?

Ryuji: We just gotta take care of him before then.

Ann: I'll do my best. No going in without me, OK?

She looks up at Akira, who meets her gaze once he's noticed her eyes on him. The last text by Ryuji goes unnoticed between the two.

"I'm serious," she tells him, fire in her eyes.

"I know. Trust me."

The way he looks at her causes that fire to completely extinguish, "Y-Yeah. I do..." she mumbles as she twirls one of her twin tails aimlessly.

"Good. I'll let you know when we're heading in."

"How about today? The faster we knock this out the better, right?"

He shook his head, "There's business I need to take care of today."

**Business? Again?**

Ann wanted to pry, but how could she without sounding weird? It wasn't any of her business, but that didn't mean she didn't want it to be.

Before she could say anymore the bell rung, signifying the start of class.

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"Back so soon? What are you here for today?" asked Takemi.

"I've heard that you have even more potent medicine."

She eyes him over, "...Regular medicine won't do the trick?"

"Something like that."

Takemi contemplates for a moment, and eventually sighs, "Fine... Just head into the examination room for now."

After a couple minutes she joins him in the exam room, leaning against the door.

"...That 'medicine,' huh...?" she suddenly locks the door and glares at him. "So... which conversation of mine did you eavesdrop on to hear that?"

"The one from yesterday," he answers truthfully.

She smirks at audacity, "...Not that I care, of course," her expression then falls into a somber one. "I was going to dispose of that medicine anyway. I got a little too carried away with it.

"...But tell me; why would a high schooler like yourself be so interested in that medicine? It's very strange, indeed. You don't seem to be very athletic, so... What exactly are you up to?"

It wasn't like he could tell her that he was using it to go into another dimension, kick the ass of a Palace ruler, and steal his distorted desires. He needed an alternative.

"It's for my exams."

"Exams...?" she gives him a dumbfounded look for a second before regaling her composure. "Oh, your entrance exams for college?"

He nods tersely.

"So you're looking to improve your concentration and reduce fatigue?" the doctor shrugs and waggles her clipboard at him. "Hm, that's not the best idea.

"But if that's what you want to do..."

She unlocks the door.

"Then good luck with that. I have no obligation to help you with that. Why don't you have an energy drink or something?"

"I'm not budging. I need that medicine," he states firmly.

Takemi scratches the back of her head and glares at him, "You're really annoying, you know that? The medicine is really expensive. And it's not something a high schooler can get his hands on. It costs almost as much as a car.

"Got it? So how about you just go home?"

He could tell her that money wouldn't be an issue, however, would she really believe a high schooler is currently sitting on a $500 million mountain? Besides, he really didn't want word getting out that he was loaded, even if it was just some alleyway doctor.

"How about we make a deal?"

She perks up in interest, "Oh, what kind of deal?"

"In exchange for said medicine, I'll work for it."

"What, like part-time help...?" she ponders for a moment before speaking. "...Do you consider yourself someone with a good amount of stamina?"

He gives her a puzzled expression.

"I admit I have been looking for a young person around your age to help me out. But I haven't been able to find one, ever after putting an ad in the paper."

Not surprising. Who wants to be a test subject for someone who has rumours swirling around them that they use experimental drugs? No sane person would follow up on that.

Good thing he wasn't.

"...Are you up for that?"

He meets her gaze and answers without hesitation, "Yes."

"OK then. You'll be participating in clinical trials for my medicine," she says with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Hang on, I'll be right back."

...

"Here you go," she says with a wry smile as she hands him the ominous looking liquid. "... Worried about the side effects? Well, you can relax. Rest assured, my autopsy is guaranteed to find out exactly what part of it killed you."

"Glad to hear it," he replies all too nonchalantly before signing off his death certificate by doing the deed; downing the drink in one fell swoop.

Her eyes widen when she sees him down her experimental medicine, "Huh...? I can't believe you actually drank it..."

He slams the beaker glass on the desk, "Believe it. Nothing I can't handle."

She begins to jot down notes, "Wow... Still doing OK, huh? Hm. Not bad, for a high schooler."

Takemi then gives him an odd look.

_Why... is she..._

_..._

"...Welp. Game over, I guess."

...

"Good evening," a voice calls to him once he stirs. "Do you remember anything from the moment you took the medicine until now?"

_Medicine?_

"Hm, by the look in your eyes, I'd say you don't. You briefly woke from your coma, but you were completely dazed during the entire examination. ...You eventually lost consciousness, and fell back to sleep."

She shakes her head and smirks at him, doing her best to stifle a laugh.

"Are you out of your mind? Only an idiot would have drank that."

He was an idiot.

"It's for my exams," he restates.

"Right... By the way, the reason you lost consciousness was because of the taste. It produces a foul smell when it mixes with gastric juices, similar to surstromming," she shrugs. "Oh, well. All that matters is that thanks to you I was able to get some good data.

"OK, it's my turn to make good on my part of the deal. That's why I waited until you woke up."

_Meaning... she would've thrown me out while I was unconscious otherwise? _

He didn't know how to take that.

"I don't want the general public to know about my original medicines. So you're strictly prohibited from disclosing what happens here to anyone... Understand?"

That would include his teammates as well. He didn't know how they would react if they found how he was participating in shady clinical trials.

"Same goes for you," he replies. Akira also didn't want his information getting leaked.

"Then it's a deal. As long as you come here for it, I'll give you the medicine at a good price whenever you want. I may even add additional selections, in time." she smiles. "...I look forward to your continued patronage."

_Good. I'd say we're about ready to head back into the Palace._

"So..." Takemi begins. "When can you come back for the next clinical trial?"

"Hm?"

"Oh, you don't remember that part, either? Well, I was saying that teenage test subjects are quite valuable in the medicos research industry. So I'll provide you medicine for your entrance exams, and in exchange you'll be my guinea pig."

Her expression hardens.

"...I have to perfect this medicine."

_I guess she has her reasons..._

Her voice breaks him from his thoughts, "If you're able to move now, you can go home."

He nods and heads for the door, "I'll see you later."

"All right, take care."

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Ryuji: Man, we need some cash.

Ann sighs as she reads the group text.

Ann: Why are you bringing that up now?

Ryuji: Well we can get all sortsa weapons and meds and shit now...

Ryuji: But we can't actually buy any of it without some dough.

Akira: Don't you have any savings?

Granted he wasn't really one to speak about savings given his situation.

Ryuji: No...

Ann: Why don't we get part-time jobs?

**Working together with Akira...**

It would be a great way for her to close the gap between them and get to know him better. She smiles at the idea.

Ryuji: I dunno, I don't feel like it...

Ryuji: Oh, shit.

Ryuji: I'm in class!

Ryuji: Sorry, I gotta leave the chat for now. Seeya!

**Ugh. Seriously!? Why even text at all!?**

She glances over at Akira who is half asleep, resting against his bag. A sight she decides to commit to memory quickly before returning her focus to class.

...

Once lunch rolls around, Ann turns to face Akira, her cheeks touched with a tinge of pink.

He quirks an eyebrow at her while she searches for what to say.

"I've noticed that you don't really bring anything to eat, so I made a little extra today to share," she confesses, revealing the extra sandwich and cup of soup she made last night.

Honestly, she didn't know how he manages to look-

Her blush deepens when she recalls the volleyball rally.

Like THAT when it looks like he doesn't do anything, nor eats well.

"Oh?"

She's quick to double back when he gives her a quizzical expression, "You don't have to have any if you don't want to!" she then turns timid, pointing the tips her index fingers together when she speaks. "It's just... I don't want to see you with an empty stomach is all."

Even if he wanted to argue, even if he wanted to reassure her that he was fine... It was... difficult to say no when she was giving him a look like that.

He takes the sandwich and cup of soup, and mumbles a soft thank you; much to her delight.

"You make this yourself?" he asks before taking a bite.

She nods earnestly, "Uh huh! They're fairly simple, but I do know how to cook a little."

He then takes a bite of the sandwich before downing it with the soup, Ann watching intently.

"Well?" she asks after he's had a chance to savour it. It wasn't like she was agonizing over whether or not he'd like it all morning. And that WASN'T including the torment she had the night prior when mulling over how to ask him.

He gives a nod of satisfaction, "It's good."

She clasps her hands together and cheers, "Yay!"

Her day was officially made!

They eat together in amiable silence, and once done, Akira is the first to speak.

"I was thinking of heading to the Palace today. What do you think?"

She's surprised at the sudden question, but quickly gives him a fierce look of determination and nods, "Let's do it."

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After school at the hideout...

"I hope you all understand that our time limit is May 2nd," warns Morgana.

"We basically just have to go to that castle and steal the Treasure from Kamoshida, right?" asks Ann.

"Right. However, even I don't know what Kamoshida's Treasure is going to be."

"And where can we find it?"

"There's no way of knowing that before we go in and find out. But if I had to guess, I'd say he has it locked up somewhere in the depths of the Palace."

Ryuji nods and grins, "Eh, I think I get it now. We just gotta find the Treasure, yeah?"

The cat hums, "Pretty much. There's just a lot we won't know until we go in... Make sure we go about this with time to spare so we can avoid any unforeseen circumstances. ...I expect great things from you guys."

Akira looks over the three of them, "Ready?"

Ryuji pumps his fist, "Aw yeah!"

Morgana flicks his tail, "The sooner the better."

Ann rests a hand on his shoulder, "Let's get going!"

He pulls up the MetaNav.

"Destination set. Kamoshida... Pevert... Castle... Shujin Acadmeny..."


	9. Infiltrating the Castle of Lust

A/N: My apologies for the later upload. I was pretty busy for a spell there, and when I wasn't busy the new Fire Emblem came out, and I just had to beat it before doing anything else. Lucky for you guys, I'm such a hardcore gamer that I beat it in a respectable amount of time.

I decided to split the Castle of Lust into two chapters because I didn't want it to feel like a big drag to read. I'm personally not a fan of prolonged chapters, so I try not to do that with my work.

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Upon returning to the Metaverse, Ann couldn't stop herself from eyeing Akira, more specifically, his outfit. Considering her newfound knowledge in which what their outfits represent, she was hoping to make some progress in cracking the enigma that was Akira Kurusu through her eye for fashion. Taking her background into account; being a model and daughter to two world renowned fashion designers, she knew that her signature trait wouldn't let her down.

**First is his sweeping trench coat. The high-necked collar that he can hide his face behind, and the tails that swing out wildly behind him, like they have a life of their own. This isn't a coat meant to keep him warm—this is a coat meant for dramatic twirling when he wants to make an exit. **

**His waistcoat, cape and gloves shows that he has a strong sense of style, but also of decorum, with a teensy splash of the dramatic. I mean... a high schooler in a three piece suit—the guy cares about appearances. His pants that taper at the ankle gives him an athletic look similar to a fashion jogger. Something that could pass as professional at the office, while not having to worry about getting his hem caught on anything.**

**And his winklepickers. Given their history, they evoke a sense of rebelliousness— which is perfect in our case!**

**It's such a total contrast to what I see him wear at school. And when you take everything into account with the symbolism of our outfits... It's like he's got something to hide, but he gets off on the thrill of hiding it. A... gentleman thief stretched out to extreme proportions.**

She could feel the heat rise on her cheeks when she realized just how long she had been ogling him.

"Hm? What's up?" she quickly responds when she hears Ryuji say something.

"N-Nothing," he stutters while awkwardly looking away from her. "I was just thinkin' we should choose a code name for you too."

"A code name?"

He points to himself, then the other two when he calls their code names respectively.

Morgana's gears began to turn , "Judging by your costume..."

Ryuji taps his foot as he thinks of a name, "I mean, she's got that tail and stuff, so... Whadda 'bout, Sexy Cat?"

Her nose wrinkled the second the words left his mouth, "Wait! Is that what you're going to call me from now on!? I am SO not down with this!"

**He would want to call me that.**

"What do you want your code name to be?" Akira asked.

"Um, something better than just a little cat... Maybe... 'Panther'? That sounds pretty cool, doesn't it?"

"Huh? Why?" questioned Ryuji.

"'Cause it sounds more... ferocious?"

Morgana sighs blissfully at her, "She's a cougar...!"

"Don't call me that!" she says sternly, giving the cat a glare for good measure.

**Their minds are totally in the gutter.**

She looked over to Akira, "More importantly, Kamoshida...!"

He nodded, "Time to go."

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Skull cracks his knuckles when they reach the front entrance, "All right, let's start fresh and get goin'!"

"It's game time from this point forward. I'll teach you guys the basics of infiltrating a Palace as we go," added Mona.

As they were heading in, Joker noticed a small whirlpool forming off to the side, and emerging from it was one of the wardens from the Velvet room.

"My master would like a word with you," Justine says with her arms extended towards him.

Joker nodded tersely, and let her suck him down into the whirlpool.

...

"The prisoner Akira Kurusu has returned," informed Caroline.

"Well done," Igor praises. "It seems you have heeded my words... You truly make it worth rehabilitating you."

"What's your point?" he asked flatly.

The mysterious man chuckles, "I am not attempting to withhold information from you. The essence of the rehabilitation that you must complete will be explained in due time.

"Once you encounter friends who share your aesthetics and discover your place in reality... Only then, will I explain it all. Such a day should not be far off.

"This time, I wish to introduce you to the aid we are providing."

"Be grateful, Inmate!" Caroline warns.

"Due to your potential in wielding the power of the wild card, you can handle more than one Persona. That power holds infinite possibilities. We will assist you in nurturing that potential. ...To that end, we must execute your Persona."

_Execute?_

Igor chuckles once again, "Do not be alarmed. Personas are personalities that exist within you... Thus, you will only be discarding old personalities to have them be reborn as new ones. By discarding your old identity, you give way to a new one. Hence, we call this process 'execution.' Think of it as the fusion of your Personas.

"Now then, let us begin."

The process was quite simple. All he had to do was choose the Personas he wished to fuse, and the twins would take care of the rest. They were even able to show him the strengths and weaknesses of the newly formed Persona, and what traits it would inherit. He could get down to the real nitty gritty if he so chooses.

_I'll need to double down on taking Personas so I can fuse new ones here. The better my arsenal, the better I can support the team, the better our chances of survival._

He had a feeling he could spend a lot of time here.

After choosing to fuse a new Persona, Arsene appeared before him, his laughter echoing throughout.

"I am Arsene—the other you who exists within... Though I may disappear this moment, I shall always be at your side. We shall meet again... when your fate reaches its conclusion."

The execution process was about as gruesome as he imagined. Though, the use of a guillotine was unexpected.

Igor gave the new Persona an approving nod, "Ah, how impressive... A stronger Persona has been born from the body and blood of the old. It shall be your new strength."

"It's worth will be made clearer when you return to the field of battle," added Justine.

"Gather Personas, and bring them here. Gather a great many, execute them, and continue to give birth to even stronger Personas. Developing your powers as such will play an integral role in the stand against ruin."

"So that your rehabilitation goes well, we have a variety of rituals to choose in regard to executions."

"And depending on the effort you put in, our master might consider further development of new rituals," Caroline remarks. "Cry your tears of joy, Inmate!"

"Your heart is steadily gaining the strength of rebellion," Igor says. "It seems your rehabilitation is proceeding smoothly—a joyous fact, indeed...

"In anticipation of this, I have prepared a gift for you. I hope that you shall accept it."

_Third Eye..._

It was weird, he never heard of it before, yet... he knew it like the back of his hand.

"That is a thief's skill," Igor continued. "Allowing one to tap into their sixth sense and see what is hidden in the dark. I believe you can handle it now. May you continue devoting yourself to further rehabilitation."

"...Now then, if you have any requests, we will heed them," informed Justine.

"I think I'm good for now."

"Wait!" Caroline yells a little too abruptly. "Before you go... we have something to give you too."

"Oh? I didn't think you'd have the courage to give it to him yet," teases her sister.

"Sh-Shut up!" she stammers while kicking at the ground in embarrassment.

"What she says is true, Inmate. We would like to give you something as well."

_Oh?_

Caroline then steps forward, and reveals what she's been hiding behind her back.

"It's a grappling hook. Obviously I shouldn't have to tell you how to use it, you're not that stupid are you, Inmate?"

Justine giggled at her sister's antics, "She spent the last two nights working tirelessly on it."

The one in question looks over at her in shock, "Wha-"

"She didn't know how to give it to you, so I thought she simply lacked the courage. It would seem that I was wrong."

"Y-You promised you wouldn't say anything!"

Justine brings a finger to her chin as she replies with a coy grin, "Did I?"

"Yes you- Grr! Fine!" she then slams the grappling hook into Akira's chest while doing her absolute best to hide her crimson cheeks from him. "Just take it and go already!"

Before he could say anything, he was returned to the real world.

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"Something wrong?" asked Mona. "You were just standing around all of a sudden."

_To my teammates, it looked like I wasn't moving... _

"Why're you spacin' out like that? ...It's kinda hard to tell what you're thinkin' sometimes," admits Skull.

Panther could attest to that.

"Let's just say he's a man of high caliber."

She could also attest to that.

"We're counting on you, Joker!"

...

Getting past the first floor of the Palace was fairly easy. It seemed that the weaker enemies were stationed there, meaning it was a good chance for them to learn how to coordinate with each other better during ambushes and combat in general.

"Damn... There's one here too..." said Skull upon reaching the second floor and nearly running into a guard. "Oh well... Guess we just gotta ambush it from behind again..."

"I think I have a better way of doing it," Joker mused.

"I was thinking the same thing," Mona added, nodding in approval.

Panther is quick to scold the three boys, "Hey! This isn't a movie!"

The last thing she wanted was for Joker to get hurt pulling off some stupid stunt.

However, it would seem that what she said went in one ear and out the other as Joker began to ambush the shadow. She will admit that he looked really cool while dashing from cover to cover, then grappling onto the shadow's shoulders and ripping its mask off, but she'd also admit that her heart was racing the entire time.

After some more traversing, they made it to a room that had bars surrounding a table.

"Look! There's something in there," pointed out Skull. "But the bars're blockin' our way in..."

"If he's protecting it this securely, it has to be important," Mona suggested. "Joker, think you can solve the mystery to this room? I'm sure your observation skills will help you get through!"

Using Third Eye, he was easily able to solve the puzzle. On each pillar, there was the head of a Minotaur mounted on it with a chain dangling from its mouth. Third Eye allowed him to pull the necessary levers to lower the bars.

"How did you figure it out so fast?" asked Panther in amazement.

Mona crossed his arms and nodded in approval, "As expected from you, Joker!"

When they approached the table, Skull's face fell.

"What the hell? He had it all locked up and shit, but it was just some old map...?"

Mona shook his head, "You're hopeless... Don't you realize how vital a map is? Having this will give us a better grasp of the topography of the Palace. It's a true necessity for a phantom thief. This should make securing a route much easier."

"Wait," Panther interjects. "Does it say where the Treasure is on there?"

"No. The map is incomplete."

"Mkay, let's start checkin' what we can," said Skull. "We'll prolly find another map along the way somewhere."

...

_A chest?_

Outside the safe room on the second floor, Joker noticed a hefty looking chest off to the side.

"Think there's some goodies in there, Joker?" asked Panther.

"It's locked, so there must be somethin' good," snorted Skull.

"Do we need a key?"

"There's an easier solution," said Joker with a cocksure grin.

The two look at him with a quizzical expression when shows them the tiny instrument in his hand.

"What is it?" asked Skull.

"A lock pick," cuts in Mona. "I didn't know you knew how to make them."

"Thought it was worth investing some time in. Looks like my hunch was right."

Panther was impressed, "You thought of everything, haven't you?"

He shrugged ambiguously before getting work on picking the lock.

**He's really going all out on this. I need to make sure I do my part too!**

Panther leans on his shoulder and peeks into the chest to see what spoils they earned after the lock is picked.

"Drinks?" she frowned. "Isn't this something you'd find in a vending machine?"

He nods, "It'll help though. Let's rest in that safe room. We've been at it for a while now."

"Safe room?"

"You'll see when we get inside," added Skull.

...

"Hey, what's with this room!?"

The way it was phasing was throwing her off.

"It's a gap in the cognition. A safe room, if you will."

She twirled one of her twin tails, slightly embarrassed that what Mona said went in one ear and out the other, "Yeah, still not getting it."

"Right?" said Skull, thankful to have someone else understand his pain.

That didn't make her feel any better, if anything, it made her feel worse to be lumped into the same company as Skull.

"Basically, it's a spot where Shadows and the Palace ruler can't find us," said Joker.

"Huh... I didn't think a place like that existed in here," she mused. "So, what do we do in this 'safe room'?"

Skull gives her an "Are you serious?" look, "Take a break, duh. Oh, and we talk about stuff too."

He was lucky that Joker was standing right next to her, or she would've popped off on him. How could he be so irritating?

"Huh..." she tries to say without her voice cracking. "Those are important. I guess I'll rest for a bit too then."

She looks up at Joker, placing her hand on his forearm, "Let me know when you're ready to head out, Joker."

She then gives him a soft smile that only he could see, before taking a seat at the table.

"If the map's right, we still got a long way to go..." sighed Skull.

"Quit your complaining, moron," chided Mona. "No one said this was going to be an easy trek."

"What did you say!?"

As the two got into a bickering match, Panther moved next to Joker.

He looks her way for a moment before returning his eyes to the spectacle.

"Should we... stop them?" she asks, unsure of how to approach the awkward situation.

Joker gives a slight shake of the head, "No point. Let them get it out of their system now so they're not a hindrance on the field of battle."

"It's always like this, huh?"

He nods tersely.

Here he was, laying everything on the line for them and even getting himself involved in a matter that would lead him to juvenile hall. Yet here they were, waiting for these two to stop arguing. Did they not care? Did they not see how important this operation was? Was arguing over who the bigger idiot was really necessary?

It bothered her.

"Panther..."

"Y-Yes?" she replies all too quickly upon hearing him call her code name, causing her to twirl one of her twin tails in embarrassment.

"How does your gun feel?"

"Gun...? Oh, right. How should I put this, I like it... I think."

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"I don't know!" she stammers. "I'm not very good with it, I feel like I miss too many shots."

"Show me how you hold it."

"Okay."

Before she had the chance to pull out her smg, Joker headed for the door.

"Actually, let's do this outside. Wouldn't want to disturb these two."

She giggles and follows him out the door.

...

"That's why you're missing your shots," he eventually said after taking a moment to observe her.

"Huh?"

He went to a nearby vase, "From there, try hitting this vase using your entire clip."

And she did just that... try.

She pouted at him, "I missed every shot!"

"Look," he shifted behind her, and placed a hand overtop her forearm, then began to mimic the motions she had while she was firing her smg. "You can't control the recoil with a stance like that."

He then reached around her other side to grab her other arm.

"Use your dominant arm for support and recoil control, and the other to steady your aim."

"R-Right..."

The way his breath tickled her neck, the way she could feel his voice reverberating in her chest, the way his touch felt electric against her skin...

She didn't know how she was keeping it together.

That was until he moved between her legs.

"W-What are you doing!?" she stuttered, the heat on her neck rising to the tips of her ears and cheeks.

"Correcting your stance."

"Of c-course..."

That was all fine and dandy, but where his hands were placed on her thigh and calf to shift her legs were causing the temperature of the room to reach uncomfortable levels.

"Alright, now bend your knees a bit."

He moves behind her once more and places his hands over hers.

"Aki- I mean, Joker?"

"Try it now."

Sure enough, when she emptied the clip this time the bullet spread was much tighter, and she hit the vase more consistently. She didn't know how she pulled it off while being... distracted, but maybe therein lied the answer.

He stepped off to the side, "One more time."

Same result.

She pumped her fist in the air at her success, "Yay! We did it!"

Joker merely shook his head, "I just made some minor corrections."

**Minor corrections... right... How could I forget?**

She tilted her head off to the side, and began fiddling with one of her twin tails to hide her reddened cheeks, "Seriously, thank you. I appreciate you taking the time to teach me this."

"Naturally. I'm concerned for your well-being."

"C-Concerned?"

He nodded, "Yes, I... don't think I'd be able to forgive myself if something happened to you, and I had the power to prevent it."

"Akira..." her blush rose when she realized she slipped up his real name. "Er... sorry..."

"It's fine. Anyways, let's head back and grab those two."

"Yeah..." she replied sheepishly.

**Never forgive himself? Concerned for my well-being? **

She couldn't stop herself from looking over at the enigma that had completely enraptured her.

**Just who are you?**

Her bewilderment didn't seem stop there.

As they worked through the eastern building, Panther had to admit that Joker was amazing on the battlefield. To her knowledge, he'd only gone to the Palace twice before her, yet it looked like he'd been doing this kinda thing for years.

He was like an exotic dancer, movements fluid and graceful, yet precise in their execution. He knew how to enthral any who dare challenge him, and get exactly what he wanted out of them with his cunningness. He knew how to render the room speechless with his performance, leaving everyone at his mercy. And the thing was, it almost seemed like he was showing off just for the sake of showing off; some of the things he was doing she could never hope to pull off, yet he was making it look as easy as breathing. And... if she was being honest with herself... it left her gawking at him on more than one occasion.

She was totally wrapped around his finger, and she had absolutely no idea.

...

When they moved onto the third floor, they discovered three rooms that had books upon books sorted neatly on book shelves.

_They're like... studies._

And in each room, Joker noticed a book that was out of place, thanks to his Third Eye.

The Slave Book, The Queen Book, and The King Book.

"Not that I'm questionin' you or anythin', but why're these books important?" asked Skull.

Joker shrugged, "Something tells me we'll need them."

...

"Whoa, it's so musty..." commented Panther upon entering the next room.

"A library, huh? This definitely seems fishy," pointed out Mona.

"Whaddya mean?" asked Skull.

"Come on, it's a library in a castle. There has to be some kind of secret mechanism here."

_Hmm..._

Third Eye once again came to his aid, pointing out the slots to put the books in. All he had to do was match the book with the theme of the shelf.

"Let's see..." Skull then begins reading off the list of books. "'The History of Kamoshida'... 'Tracing Kamoshida's Steps'... 'Kamoshida's Heroisms'... 'Kamoshida's Law'...? What the hell!? All these goddamn books're about Kamoshida!"

Joker put one of the books into the slot.

"What're you thinking, Joker?" asked Panther.

"I'm thinking that these books are related to this puzzle."

"Hmm..." she moves over to the next shelf. "There are all sorts of books here... The titles don't have any rhyme or reason to them. Huh? This book... has Shiho's name in the title...

"Wait... it's not just this one! All of the books here are about female students...!"

There was one book in particular that caught his eye.

"Ann Takamaki: The Charming Doll."

Panther's eyes followed his onto the book in question, causing her to huff in anger.

"What the heck is this...!?"

She grabbed the book off the shelf, but before she could sift through it, Joker took the book from her.

"Hey! Wha-" her lips were quickly sealed by a familiar index finger.

"Don't let him get to you," he murmurs. "You're you, who cares what he thinks?"

His silver pools had her locked in place. Her throat started to swell, nullifying any comeback she had with a meek, "Y-Yeah..."

They moved onto the next shelf.

"Panther, you okay?" asked Skull. "You seem a little-"

"Shut it!"

"Cut it out you two!" scolded Mona. "Wait a second. The books on this shelf seem familiar."

"These're the names of the volleyball team members," noted Skull. "Wait, what the hell!? All these titles are boys from our school!"

"'Ryuji Sakamoto: The Vulgar Ape.' There's one here for Skull."

"That bastard! Who the hell does he think he is!?"

Upon placing the last book in the slot, the group heard a clicking sound within the room. Using Third Eye, Joker was able to find the moveable book shelf with ease.

He opened it a crack, and once he got a peak of the inside...

"You guys keep watch. I'll be back in a sec."

"What? Why?" asked a bewildered Skull.

"You guys don't need to see what's in here."

"What do you mean? We have every right to see what's in there," Panther argued.

"Trust me..." he says with a crestfallen expression. "There are some things that you shouldn't have to go through."

"But-"

Before she could protest further, Mona cut her off," Let's trust Joker on this. He wouldn't have said anything if he didn't mean it. If things go south, we'll back him up. Otherwise, let's just wait out here."

She looked over at Joker once more.

"Is... is it really that bad?"

He nods.

"Okay... We'll keep watch out here."

With that, Joker enters the hidden entrance.

...

"So... what did you find?" asked a concerned Panther. Her mind had come up with many scenarios as to what could be beyond that door.

He showed them the gold medal, and a map.

"Oh... It's a different one from the one we have! This is lucky... Let's take it with us! Aha! Our map's complete now!" cheered Mona.

"So is it gonna tell us where the Treasure is?" asked Skull.

"Yeah, look. It has to be here..."

Panther spoke her thoughts aloud, "That's a weird shaped building... Could it be a tower or something?"

"Considering our current position... I'd say we're about halfway there."

"All right! Let's hurry over there!" cheered Skull.

Joker shook his head, "With this information, we can calculate the best way to pace ourselves. Let's not overdo it. How are you all feeling?"

"I'm feeling pretty good," said Skull.

"Me too!" Mona added.

"Same here!" cheered Panther.

Joker nodded, "Then I guess we keep moving."

When they left the library, they noticed a door that was sealed behind bars.

"Whatever is past here must be important," Mona surmised.

"But... it's locked..." Skull was quick to point out.

"Is there any way to get rid of them?"

_Hmm..._

He took the medal out of his pocket.

"Joker?" Panther called to him when she realized he was just standing there. "Something up?"

"Give me a sec."

After a few seconds, the bars disappeared.

"How did you do that?"

He shrugged nonchalantly, "The medal was the key in unlocking the door."

Mona hummed his approval, "As expected of you, Joker. Good work!"

As they were passing through to the annex of the east building, Panther grabbed Joker by the shoulder.

He shelved his hands into his pockets and faced her, "What is it?"

After taking a second to gather her thoughts, she met his steely gaze, "What was in that hidden room? I want to know why you didn't let us in."

He should've known she wouldn't let it go that easily.

But how could he tell her about it? Why would he tell her that Kamoshida built a hidden shrine for her and her friend? Pictures of the two everywhere, torture tools, sex toys, a crucifix for bondage, vulgar slander everywhere, and evidence that would suggest that many things took place inside that room. Translate that into the real world, and what would that mean?

"It's best you don't know."

"Why?"

He placed his hands on her shoulders, "There are things that you shouldn't have to go through. I'm not trying to keep you in the dark, but it's best if we just drop the subject."

"You seriously won't tell me...?" she said with a dejected look.

Was it a lack of trust? Did he not trust her enough to tell her?

He quickly tilted her chin back up towards him, "Don't do that."

"Do what?" she says with a very obvious pout.

"I can see you doubting yourself, that's not what this is about."

"Then what is it about?"

"I... just don't want to see you suffer."

Her eyes widened at his words.

He shelved his hands back into pockets and turned away from her, "Let's join up with the others."

...

"This place is huge... yet there are no guards? That seems suspicious..." mused Mona.

"But the Treasure's up ahead, right? We don't have a choice but to keep goin'," said Skull.

"I guess that's true... but we need to make sure we're ready for whatever might be ahead."

As they entered the chapel, the distortion began to shift.

"Wait, was that... the gym...?" asked Panther.

Their attention turned to massive statue of Kamoshida being bathed in a holy light.

Skull scoffed, "I get it... The gym's some kinda holy place for him. He's a god there."

Panther's brows furrowed, "I can't believe he can think like that... especially after what he did to Shiho..."

"God, that bastard makes me so frickin' sick! Just you wait, Kamoshida...!"

"I see... so you're the ones who tampered with the library," a mysterious voice suddenly spoke. "It seems my time waiting here as finally paid off..."

The Shadow then revealed itself.

"Just as that ape there said, this place is a holy ground for our great King Kamoshida. It is preposterous for miscreants like yourselves to come waltzing in like this. You will pay for foolishly defying King Kamoshida... with your lives!"


	10. Securing An Infiltration Route

A/N: Oh my god, I know. It's been forever, and I must apologize. I've been incredibly busy with work and my side business that I've barely had time to write, and the times I did have I was sleeping from being exhausted from work or dealing with some other issues that I've mentioned before. I really don't like leaving updates this long between, but there's not a lot I can do about it.

I gotta about a month of work left, getting ready for the next season, so I don't foresee an update anytime soon this coming month. However, after that I'll have a wide open schedule where I'll be able to update more frequently and consistently. I thank you for your patience, and apologize once again for not updating as often as I'd like.

Do know that I'm always around to answer questions or discuss things, so don't be hesitant to hit me up.

Anyways, see you guys in the next chapter.

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Although the Shadow talked a big game, the group was easily able to dispatch it.

"It looks like he's making a concerted effort to stop us now," Mona pointed out.

Speaking of...

Three more shadows suddenly appeared, forcing the group to split off and hide.

Panther whispered to Joker from their hiding spot behind a bench, "What should we do? Head back?"

He shook his head, "Not yet."

He then pulled out his pistol and vaulted over the bench, opening fire on the three assailants.

Skull yanked one of them into cover amidst the confusion and beat it into submission, while Mona took the other by surprise with a stealth attack of his own.

The skirmish was over as soon as it started, and Panther couldn't stop herself from sighing.

**Right... The longer we put this off, the longer that bastard is able to keep hurting people. This plan isn't even guaranteed to work, but it's the only one we've got. If I want to help Akira, avenge Shiho, and put a stop to his madness. Then, I can't afford to become complacent now.**

"Oi, Panther!" shouted Skull from across the Cathedral. "If you don't hurry up, we're gonna leave you behind!"

"You better not even think about it Skull!" she yelled back before joining up with the others. Making sure to give Skull a good scolding for his "joking around."

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"Hey, take a look at that!" said Skull motioning to the massive tower on the other side of the roof.

Mona nodded in approval, "Oh! That matches up with the map. There's no doubt that's the tower we're headed for."

"So the Treasure's up there!" deduced Panther.

"Hell yeah, we did it!" cheered Skull before his face fell into confusion. "So... where's the entrance? All the way up there...?" He pointed towards the door on the other end of the roof.

"But look at all of those guards," Panther retorted swiftly. "And what's with that creepy red flame they're engulfed by? I've got a bad feeling..."

"It's no surprise that security would be tight around here," Mona gleaned. "But as they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Let's go, Joker!"

"We'll sneak past them by scaling the tower," said Joker.

"We're not going to fight them?" asked Skull, a hint of disappointment in his tone.

He shook his head, "Panther's intuition was correct. These enemies are abnormal. I'm sure Mona could attest to that."

The feline shrugged nonchalantly, "I easily could've handled small fry like them, but if you want to sneak past them instead, I won't hold it against you."

Panther's gave Mona a far from impressed look, "Uh huh, are you sure that's why you're not objecting to Joker's plan?"

"Well... I... I was just testing him, that's all!" the cat backtracked.

She rolled her eyes at the obvious lie, and decided to bite her tongue before she showed this little cat how fierce this panther could be.

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It didn't take them long to sneak past the guards, a flawless endeavour thanks to none other than Joker's guidance. Granted, none of them were aware of his Third Eye ability, which allowed him to see their patrol routes and lines of sight. It required almost no effort to be stealthy.

Once they scaled the tower, Panther was the first to comment on the bizarre change to the landscape.

"Wh-What's going on!?"

"The distortion is getting stronger... The Treasure has got to be nearby!" surmised Mona.

It was unsettling to Ann, the way the floor was levitating and disappearing in certain spots. The random nude statues of high school girls scattered all over the place. The way the place reeked of sex; of him... Ominous was putting it lightly. Disturbing was another term that felt just a little too generous to describe how she felt.

She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder.

When she looked up at him, Joker didn't say anything; didn't need to say anything. There was a silent question he was asking her, one that she already knew the answer to.

They had made it this far through this fucked up dream sequence, other world, whatever it was... she wasn't going to back out now.

She would remain at his side.

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Once the thieves finished clearing the next few rooms, they came across a bridge leading to the next area. However, upon further inspection, it appeared that crossing said bridge wasn't going to be an easy feat.

"Whoa, that was close...!" exclaimed Panther, breathing a sigh of relief when Joker managed to dodge the scythe coming to cleave him in half. "Wait... What is this...?"

"It's a classic security measure," explained Mona. "My tail might be in danger if we try to force our way through..."

"Oh yeah, same for Panther's," added Skull. "So... what do we do? No way were gettin' through here as is."

The group then turned to Joker, who was inspecting the Kamoshida statue that had no eyes.

"Yo, you think this controls those swinging things!?" asked Skull.

"Scythes..." Joker corrected. "And yes, I do. However..."

When Joker pulled on the jaw, it felt slack.

"I didn't think it would be that easy," Mona figured. "We'll probably need some kind of key for it..."

Skull groaned, "We gotta look for a key again? What a pain in the ass..."

"Where would it be though?" asked Panther trying to brainstorm. "There weren't any suspicious rooms on the way here."

"Hm... What do you think, Joker?" asked Mona.

"They're likely on the enemy," he answered.

"Hm... That probably would be the most likely scenario..."

"An enemy? Y'mean one of them Shadows that's roamin' around?" Skull let out an exasperated sigh. "Dude, how many of 'em you think there are? We can't beat the crap outta all of them!"

"True, but the keys have to be on one of the high ranking enemies around here," interjected Joker.

"Then we just need to look for Shadows like that and defeat them!" added Panther catching onto the plan.

Joker nodded tersely.

"But how are we gonna tell them apart?" whined Skull. "And even then, there are a lot of enemies."

"Quit your complaining and move it!" scolded Panther, tired of hearing his pessimism.

"Yeah, yeah..."

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Finding and eliminating the Shadow with the key they were looking for proved to be much easier than anticipated. Though once again, the other three were unaware of Joker's Third Eye ability. Which basically highlighted the Shadow in question with a big neon saying, "Please Kick My Ass". And just like in the real world, getting jumped by four people typically equated to an ass beating.

"H-Hey, that Shadow did have somethin'..." said Skull in minor disbelief once they looted the Shadow. However, his face quickly contorted in disgust when he realized what the key was. "But what the hell is this? An eye?"

Joker nodded, "It's our key."

Realization struck Panther, "Oh yeah... Now that I think about it, the statue didn't have eyes..."

"Ugh, how much grosser can this guy get?" fretted Skull.

After the thieves defeated the Shadow that held the other key, they quickly returned to bridge.

"Looks like they stopped movin'," Skull pointed out once they finished putting the eyes into the statue.

"The Treasure is definitely close, we're on the right path," Mona updated.

Ascending the set of stairs to the next room, the group was faced with yet another oddity.

There was a flight of stairs that clearly led to the next area at the other end of the room, but the first few dozen steps were missing; making it impossible to reach the next area. On top of that, there were dozens of miniature Kamoshida statues with glowing red eyes that followed their movements down a red carpet that led to the staircase.

The room gave off an eerie vibe that everyone could sense.

"Something's watching us," warned Joker.

"Yeah, it's these creepy statues!" said Skull stating the obvious.

Mona shook his head, "No, I feel it too. Something is-"

A mysterious voice suddenly cut Mona off, "Hmph. You are gravely mistaken if you think I'll let you make it to the next flight of stairs."

"Show yourself!" demanded Skull.

The mysterious voice continued, "This majestic tower penetrating the sky represents the admirable King Kamoshida's most sacred place..."

"Wait... Most sacred?" before Panther could finish her line of thought, white slime suddenly fell on her shoulder.

"Ew! What is this!?" she screamed as more slime fell on her.

**What's with this awful smell!? And it's so hot and sticky! **

"Um... Panther?" muttered Skull.

"What!? Can't you see I'm-"

He simply pointed up at the ceiling, and her stomach lurched when she realized where the slime was coming from.

"A-Ahhhhhh!" she screamed.

The slime stretched towards Panther upon being discovered.

"It's a-a-"

"You don't need to say it!" Skull cut off. "We all know what it looks like!"

She looked down at the slime that was still clung to her body, "Then... this slime is-urk..."

Unfortunately, she failed to cover her mouth in time to stop herself from emptying her stomach. The thought of being covering in that man's "slime" was too much for her to handle.

Amidst her unpleasant and rather embarrassing vomiting session, she felt a hand on her back, rubbing soothing circles until she finished. She looked up at Joker, who was the one kneeling beside her.

"Sorry..." she muttered as she wiped her mouth, trying her best not to let the embarrassment of vomiting in front of him overwhelm her.

He shook his head, "It's fine."

"Hate to interrupt you two!" shouted Skull as he dodged an incoming attack from the slime. "But we need a little help here!"

"I-I'm so done with this place..." she sighed.

Joker offered her his hand, "Hang in there a little longer, Panther. We're almost done."

"Yeah..." she said with a little more vigour than before when she took his hand. "Thanks, Joker."

**Remember why we're doing this.**

When the two returned to the action, the slime eyed Panther with a lustful gaze, "Back for more are you? I got plenty more where that came from."

She glared and pointed at the slime, "Shut up you creep!"

Pulling out her whip, Panther did not hold back when unleashing her fury upon the one who dared to humiliate her. The other three could only watch the onslaught, as pitiful cries and spurts of white slime came from their foe. After it was all said and done, the slime shrivelled into nothing more than putty in the dominatrix's hands.

"N-No more..." it begged. "I'm at my limit."

Panther merely glared at the slime in contempt before stepping on its head to deliver the final blow. The fallen king moaned awkwardly while emptying the last of its reserves, before finally disintegrating into ash.

"That was... something..." Mona commented in the aftermath, scratching behind his ear in discomfort.

"Er... yeah..." added Skull, unable to look her in the eyes.

She shook her head at the two.

**How immature can you two be?**

She let out an exasperated sigh before saying, "Let's just keep going. I'm so done with today."

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"OK! We're in!" cheered Skull when they entered the Throne room.

Mona was quick to smack him upside the head, "Quiet down, you idiot!" he chided before pointing to the floor below.

"Oh shit, it's Kamoshida...!"

"And a ton of soldiers," added Panther.

"How have you not captured the intruders yet!?" demanded Kamoshida.

One of the armoured soldiers knelt before him, "I apologize, my liege!"

As Kamoshida continued to scold his men for their incompetence, Mona beckoned the other three forward, "I bet he'd never imagine we're in the same room as him. Come on, let's keep moving..."

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Getting in the Treasure room undetected was easy, however, once they got inside...

"Whoa, what is this place!? Holy shit!" exclaimed Skull while he marvelled at all the jewels and gold piled within the room. "That Treasure thing's gotta be in here!"

Among all of the gold and other treasures in the room, there was one thing in particular that stood out to Panther.

"Hey, what is this?" she asked, wondering if she was seeing things. "It's... floating in the air."

Mona wagged his tail in delight, "Hehe... That's the Treasure. We finally found it!"

"This... cloudy thing?"

"Just hold on a second. I was planning on telling you more once we made it this far. Simply finding the Treasure isn't enough. We'll need to make it materialize before we can steal it."

The the three Shujin students exchanged puzzled glances with one another.

"Whaddya mean...?" asked Skull.

"Desires have no physical form by nature," Mona revealed. "Hence, we'll first need to make the real person aware that their desires are in fact a Treasure. Once they're conscious that their desires might be stolen, the Treasure will finally show itself."

"But how do we do that?" asked Panther.

"We warn them," the feline answered. "Tell them, 'We're going to steal your heart.'"

Skull's eyes lit up, "So we're gonna send a calling card!? That's totally what a phantom thief would do!"

Mona smiled smugly, "Once we do that, the Treasure will appear for certain! ...I think!"

"That again...? Either way, sounds like it's worth givin' it a shot!"

"Our infiltration route is secure," declared Mona. "All that's left now is to pump out a calling card in reality, then come back to take the Treasure!"

Panther turned to Joker, "This is it, huh?"

He nodded, "So it would seem."

Skull fist pumped the air, "Hell yeah it is!"

"Once we send out the calling card, there will be no turning back," Mona added. "Just let me know when you're ready. We'll head back to the hideout and send out that calling card!"

"Yeah! Now let's get the hell outta here before Kamoshida finds us!" suggested Skull.

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Once the group said their goodbyes and headed towards their respective trains, there was something that Ann couldn't wrap her head around.

**Why is Akira taking the same train home as me!?**

Twirling the tip of one of her twin tails while glancing at anywhere but him, she muttered, "So... what brings you to Yongen?"

"It's where I'm staying during my time here," he replied nonchalantly.

Her eyes went wide as saucers.

**What!?**

"N-No way, really? Wh-What a coincidence!"

He peered over his shoulder to glance at her, "Oh?"

"Yeah. I... also happen to live in the area."

"I see, looks like we might be seeing more of each other then."

She beamed up at him, "Yeah! Though, that's only if you ever decide to take the earlier train."

He shrugged, "What can I say? I'm not a morning person."

She giggled, "That's true. You always look half asleep in class."

Once they hopped on the train, Ann found herself in another situation that she couldn't wrap her head around.

"It's... really packed, huh?" she said in between being sandwiched by multiple people.

"Here," Akira put himself between her and one wall of people. "It's still not going to be comfortable, but perhaps it might be more tolerable."

"Th-Thank you."

They rode in silence until a sudden shift in the car made Ann stumble into his chest.

"Sorry!" she stammered while trying to pull back. "I'll mo- oomph!"

The sudden shaking of the train once again caused her to crash into his chest. However, this time she couldn't pull away due to other passengers pushing her into him.

She peered up at him apologetically, "You don't mind, do you?"

He was finding it increasingly difficult to formulate an argument when she was looking at him like that. Besides, it was probably better to just leave her be than to make a scene because they were uncomfortable.

"It's fine," he replied cooly.

Though, she could've sworn that-

Another rattle of the train pushed her deeper into him. Now she was thoroughly pressed up against him.

**He smells... nice. **

Was the first thought that came to mind. It reminded her of coffee and curry, which sent a wave of familiarity through her that she couldn't quite place.

**Where have I smelt that before?**

Whilst wallowing in this unfamiliar feeling being cozied up to him, something else caught her attention.

The subtle beating coming from his chest.

**It's so calm, so steady. Whereas mine is feels unbearable, like it'll burst at any moment.**

She found the contrast fascinating, but at the same, disheartening.

**Does he not feel the same as I do right now, not even a little? **

The train intercom snapped her from her thoughts, "Yongen-Jaya. Next stop, Yongen-Jaya."

As they exited the train, Ann once again offered an apology to which he waved off.

"You don't have to keep apologizing. It's Tokyo, it happens."

"Yeah..." she said, fumbling with her words.

Why was she even nervous? They were just walking home together, and only because they happened to live in the same area.

"By the way," he began while pinching his bangs. "Good work in the Palace today. Everyone did well, but I'm impressed that we managed to get to the Treasure in one go."

"That's because we had such a great leader!" she beamed.

He gave her a puzzled expression, "Leader?"

Akira never considered himself to be the leader of the group, nor did he want to be. He felt that they were all working together towards a common goal, and that was that.

"Y-Yeah..." she blushed while twirling one of her twin tails. "Sure Morgana provided us with some navigation, but it was you who lead the way. You were the one we all followed through that... place. I'm- I'm grateful for it. I don't think there would've been any way I could do this by myself."

Considering what she had gone through in the Palace so far... Without Akira, she was certain things wouldn't have ended well for her.

"It's not over yet. I have a feeling that this calling card business won't be an easy feat."

Ann suddenly stopped in front of him and smiled, "That's okay though, I'm know we'll succeed!"

Her smile was too infectious, as it made the corners of his mouth curl upwards, "I think so too."

They walked together for a while longer in mostly silence, however, Ann's curiosity wouldn't allow her to totally blow this chance to get to know Akira better.

"I see," she mused. "So, you're originally not that far from here."

"If I wasn't forced to transfer schools, I'd just stay in the same one."

"Because of friends left behind?"

"No, less of a hassle."

"But, what about the rumours revolving around your criminal record? Once people got wind of that, wouldn't it... you know..."

"Wouldn't be much different than what's happening at this one. I can handle the baseless rumours and isolation. After all, it's something I've dealt with my whole life. I'm talking about what the school offers. It's leagues better than Shujin, but I guess it doesn't matter now that I've got a criminal record."

**Akira...**

"Well, this is where we part," he said pointing towards the alley that led to Leblanc.

"You live in there?" she asked while peering around his frame into the back alley.

Her eyes lit up once he nodded.

"Really? I live just across from you then," she said before pointing at the apartment building next to the complex that held his car.

_What are the odds of that?_

He nodded once more, giving her a slight wave before disappearing into the back alley, "Well, see you."

"See you tomorrow!"

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Once they returned to their homes and got ready for bed, both of them received a ping from their phones.

Ryuji: You back home yet? I'm pooped...

Ryuji: It hit me like a goddamn ton of bricks right when I sat down...

Ann: Well, I guess we did walk pretty far in.

Ann: I'm glad we found that Treasure thing though.

Ryuji: So Kamoshida'll turn into a good guy if we steal that, huh...

Ryuji: Either way, let's send that card quick. No point in waitin'.

Ann: Let's make sure we're prepared for it though. We still have some time before the deadline.

Ann: I'd hate for one of us to get hurt because we rushed things...

Ryuji: Aw. Are you worried?

Ann: Shut it!

Akira put his phone on the window sill, and turned off the lights for the night.

_We still got a little over a week left. Once the Palace falls that's it, no more going back. And there's the matter of preparedness. Would it hurt to keep the Palace up a little longer? I can fuse more Personas, expand my arsenal, get faster, stronger, anything to up our odds of success. _

_We can't lose. As appealing as getting it done and over with sounds, guaranteed success with no losses sounds much more appealing. _

He pulled over the sheets as sleep rapidly came to claim him.

_Well, no use stressing about it._

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**Geez, why does Ryuji have to be so damn annoying?**

Seriously! When would he grow up!?

She let out an agitated sigh before setting her phone on her nightstand. She then peered out her window to the spot where her and Akira parted ways.

**I can't believe it's finally come to this. To be able to make that man pay for all that he's done. To be free of his disgusting grasp. I never thought I'd see the day.**

The encounter she first had with Akira flashed through her mind.

**And it's all thanks to him. If Akira didn't show when he did I-I don't know what would've happened... I'm scared to think of what could've happened. Still, that doesn't matter anymore. We have to see this through, no matter what. **

**When the time comes to send that calling card, I'll be ready.**


	11. Dethroning The King

A/N: We are back once again. So work lasted significantly longer than expected, which led to me having zero time for anything. After that was done, I went on a mini trip and took some time to relax and let the brain unwind after all the stress and whatnot. Now, we're finally back into it. I'm hoping for the next little while here that we can get some more consistent updates within that week or two span. I appreciate the patience and support that you guys have given throughout, truly.

I would've updated this yesterday, but it was my birthday. Consider this my gift for you guys.

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The following morning, Akira was met with an unexpected surprise while making his way to the train station.

"Hey, Akira! Over here!" waved Ann at the entrance.

"Morning," he managed to say before yawning.

She giggled, "Still not a morning person, huh?"

"Don't you usually get on the train 45 minutes earlier?" he replied.

Ann averted her gaze, fiddling with one of her twin tails as she spoke, "I thought we could... go together."

Akira paused for a moment, appearing to be lost in thought. However, as it quick as it happened, he snapped out of whatever reverie he was in, nodded at her, scanned his pass, then headed on inside. This left a rather bemused to follow after him.

Once on the train Ann had to ask, "So... you think we should send the calling card today?"

Akira shook his head, "No, there's some things I have to do still."

It wasn't a surprise to him when he noticed Ann deflate a little, "R-Right. Well, there's still plenty of time before the deadline. I worry if this whole thing is going to work. Maybe that's why I'm getting a little antsy."

"If nothing happens after stealing his Treasure we get expelled, and if we fail inside the Metaverse then it's game over. Knowing that, I'd rather get the job done right, than have something happen due to carelessness."

"Of course, I'm not saying we should rush in head first! Like I said, I just- I'm just worried about you... and Ryuji. I don't want to see you guys get expelled. And I know our options are limited, so this is really our only shot!"

Akira studied her flustered expression through the reflection of the window, "We won't give up that easily."

She considered his words, "Oddly enough, hearing you say that puts my mind at ease. Okay! Let's have a great day today!"

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The day was as mundane as ever, but Akira managed to catch some extra sleep during classes, which was a much needed bonus for what was on the agenda today. Though once the final bell rang, Ann turned towards him in her seat.

"Have any plans today?" she asked. "If we're not going to the Palace, and if you're not busy, do you want to walk home together?"

"Sorry, there's somewhere I need to be."

Ann could feel the heat rise on her cheeks upon hearing his response, "O-Of course! I was just offering. If you're busy, then don't worry about it. I guess I'll just see you tomorrow then. Bye!" she somehow managed to usher with a single breath.

And as quick as she had extended the offer, Ann managed to rush out of class and be nearly halfway to the subway. An impressive feat if someone was paying attention.

_Forgive me, Takamaki._

Unfortunately for Akira, temptation would once again come to test him after leaving class.

"Yo," waved Ryuji upon recognizing the familiar specs and messy hair heading his way.

"Sakamoto."

"So I noticed when we were runnin' around that Palace yesterday that my legs just don't feel the same way they used to be," he admitted while kicking at the ground. "I wanna get some of my mojo back, and I was thinkin' that we should do some trainin', what I used to do back in my runnin' days. Whaddya say, want in? We aren't goin' to the Palace today anyway, right?"

"I'll have to pass. There's something else that requires my attention today."

Ryuji wrapped an arm around his shoulders, wearing a cheeky grin, "C'mooon, what's a few laps around the school? It'll be good for ya as well. Besides, we need to be as prepared as possible for when we go up against that bastard, amirite? What better way than to beef ourselves up?"

Akira slipped free of the former track star's grip, and headed for the stairs, "Another time."

He noticed the blonde deflate a bit, but it couldn't be helped. He wasn't the only one trying to make the most of the opportunity that's been given.

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"I didn't expect to see you here," commented Justine when she noticed the familiar figure standing before her.

"What do you want, Inmate?" scowled Caroline. "The clock's ticking you know. Can you really afford to be wasting time here?"

Joker knelt before the two at the whirlpool, "I want you two to tell me what you know about the Metaverse."

Caroline snickered, "And why should we tell you?"

"Caroline is right. We are under no obligation to tell you of the Metaverse," added Justine. "Besides, our Master gave orders to only tell you what you need to know for the sake of rehabilitation. Anything more has been deemed unnecessary."

"What if I said it's for my rehabilitation? Your end goal is to help me rehabilitate, is it not? Therefore, your 'orders' would not be in question."

The twins exchanged glances before they both give Joker a knowing smirk.

"Alright," said Justine. "Tell us what you seek."

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"Morning, Akira!" waved Ann when she spotted him the next morning at the subway entrance.

"Morning," he muttered, still feeling groggy from the toll the night before took on him.

"Did everything go okay for you yesterday? It seemed like it was something important," she asked, concern evident in her tone.

He shrugged ambiguously, "Made some progress, but there's still work to be done."

"I suppose that means that we're not sending the calling card either today, huh?"

The slight shake of the head was all the reply she needed.

She placed a hand on his shoulder, "Don't push yourself too hard, okay? We'll need our fearless leader at his best when the time comes!"

"Heh, right."

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The days leading up to deadline went by quickly, and with expulsion right around the corner the group decided to hold a meeting at lunch.

"The deadline's tomorrow, right? We can't wait around anymore!" declared Ryuji.

"At this rate, you two really will be expelled..." Ann added.

Morgana also hummed his agreement, "We've had more than enough time to prepare, the time to act is now."

Ryuji shifted his gaze to Akira, "What's the call, Akira? We can't let that bastard roam free anymore!"

He nodded his assent, "Let's do it."

The vulgar blonde grinned, "I've been waitin' to hear you say that!"

"So we send the calling card in the morning... and carry out the plan by the end of the day, right?" recounted Ann.

"Correct," praised Morgana. "The effect won't last long. ...Are you worried?"

"Waited too long," chuckled Ann before her expression grew serious. "We're going to pull this off, no matter what!"

"That leaves the calling card. Who's going to write it?" asked the feline.

Ryuji was quick to step in and vote that he should be the one to do the honour.

Ann crossed her arms at the sudden declaration, "Why?"

The look of confusion only served to agitate her further, "Why...? Why wouldn't it be me!?"

"This is important," she stressed. "Are you sure you can handle the pressure?"

In her eyes, it was obvious who should do the deed.

And when Morgana made his stance with Ann clear, Ryuji fired back, "I really wanna get him good! Lemme write it!" He then looked over to Akira. "C'mon, please?"

Who was he to deny him that?

"All right," nodded Akira.

To which the blonde fist pumped, "Yeah, I got this!"

Though the other blonde looked at him questioningly, "Hey, are you sure about this...? If they find out our identities, all this work will be for nothing."

Adjusting his glasses, he wrapped his arm around Ryuji's shoulders, "I'm sure. I believe in Sakamoto, as should the two of you."

"You better not slack off on this!" warned Morgana.

Ryuji held up his hands defensively, "I know, I know!"

"We'll meet tomorrow," reminded Akira as he made a slip to the exit. "Make sure you're prepared."

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After he returned from the Metaverse, Akira noticed that he had some missed messages. Grabbing a smoothie on the way home, he flipped through the chat log.

Ryuji: Man, there's so much I wanna write on the calling card. It's kinda tough figuring out what to say.

Ann: Are you sure you're really capable of this!?

Ryuji: Don't worry, I got it. I even made a logo for us.

Ann: ...A logo?

Ryuji: Yup. You'll get to see it tomorrow.

Ann: Well that's worrying...

Ryuji: Anyways, you guys should rest up.

Ryuji: If we screw up tomorrow, we're totally done for.

Akira shook his head.

_Leave it to Sakamoto to not add any extra pressure._

Ann: I'm sure we can do this

Ryuji: Just remember, we can't trust any shitty adults.

Ryuji: That's why we gotta do this ourselves.

Ryuji: Anyways, let's pull this off and surprise everyone!

While Akira appreciated the enthusiasm the former track star shows, he only hoped that it wouldn't get to his head.

After closing the log, he realized that he had a missed call and another missed message.

Missed Call: Ann Takamaki

_And she wants me to call her back, huh?_

Once on the train, he dialled her back.

"Hello?" answered the familiar voice after a few rings.

"You called?"

"Ah, yes! Where are you now?"

"On the train."

"It's pretty late... You're just getting back home now?"

"Unfortunately."

There was a long pause before she spoke again.

"Are you sure you're not pushing yourself too hard?"

"Was this why you called?"

"...Maybe. I've noticed some things..."

"Oh?"

Her voice was unsteady, "Yeah... you've seemed out of reach this past week, distant. Considering what's at stake tomorrow I'm worried... about you... Are you really okay?"

Even amidst her own worries and troubles, here was this foolish girl worrying about others.

Akira chuckled.

"What's so funny?" she huffed.

"Are you busy right now?"

"Nooo... why?"

"I know this coffee shop in Shibuya that should still be open. Want to go together?"

"Eh!? Right now!?"

"Yeah, but I'm already on the train, so you gotta wait about 10 minutes though."

"10 minutes!? That's not enough time for me to get ready! Akira wa-"

He then hung up on her, after all, she had 9 minutes left...

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"It's rude to hang up on a girl you know..." Ann pouted.

Akira shrugged, "I'll make it up to you."

She perked up at his words, "Anyways, we don't have a lot of time before curfew. What is it that you wanted to talk about? Is it something important?"

"Who said that?" he questioned while leading her to the train.

"Well why else would you?"

"Do I need a reason to hang out with you?"

She quickly averted her gaze to floor, "No, I just thou- Ack!"

To make matters worse, in trying to hide her embarrassment from Akira, it only amplified ten times worse when she walked face first into the side of the train.

Akira quickly snatched her arm and guided her inside the train before asking, "You okay?"

"Y-Yeah," she stuttered, tilting her head even further from him as she spoke. "Just stumbled on something back there."

**Oh my god! I can't believe I just did that in front of him! **

While Ann was internally screaming at herself, Akira chuckled, something that snapped the blonde from her inner turmoil.

"Hey, don't laugh!" she frowned.

He coughed once while the chuckling died down, "My apologies, Takamaki, I just... wasn't expecting that."

This may have been the first time she's seen him with a genuine smile. It wasn't the same as the one he wore in the Metaverse. No, this one felt... real to her, and while it may have come at her expense, she wouldn't have traded it for anything.

She smiled up at him, and the two then rode in companionable silence for the rest of the train ride.

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"So to clarify, we're just hanging out?" she asked once they got out into Shibuya square.

Akira nodded, "Do you not want to?"

She quickly started to twirl the tip of her twin tail, "No... just wanna make sure."

He grabbed her hand, causing her to look at him in confusion.

"A-Akira?" she muttered while continuing to stare at their conjoined hands.

"Wouldn't want to get separated at a time like this. It's not far from here, let's go."

As they walked through the streets together, there was only one thing racing through the blonde's head.

**It's like we're on a date! **

Just the thought of it sent shivers down her spine, but before she could let her imagination run rampant they came to a stop.

The streets of Shibuya were always different at night, compared to the day. Things were quieter, but everything else was still there. The flashy lights, the big signs, the grandeur... However all of that gets washed by the wayside the moment she looks up at Akira, and it's then that Ann realizes that it probably doesn't matter where he takes her, because she simply just loves being in his company.

"Alright, we're here."

"Ooh, I've heard about this place, but never got around to trying it!" she exclaimed.

Akira did a double take, "You're a coffee enthusiast?"

"Not as much as sweets, but I love a good cup of coffee to go along with them!" she confessed before interlocking her arm with his, dragging him forward with her. "C'mon, let's head inside!"

When they get inside, Ann is immediately hit with the western America vibe. It didn't strike her as a typical chain place, but it wasn't one of those little treasure's one would find in some back alley either. Honestly, she preferred places that she could just sit in a booth and relax for hours in. It made it easier to socialize with friends or focus on studying when she didn't want to be at home. She was getting those vibes from this place.

Once the two ordered and were waiting for their drinks Ann asked, "What did you end up getting?"

"Cinnamon dolce latte, you?"

"There were so many to choose from, but I ended up getting their caffè mocha with the sweetened whipped cream."

"Sweet tooth?"

Her expression screamed guilt, "Was it that obvious?"

He shrugged, "Just a hunch."

"This place is international isn't it? Started out in western America before branching out?"

"Something like that."

"You come here often?"

He shrugged once again, "It's a good place to come back to."

"We all got our favourites," her eyes then lit up. "For me, there's this crepe place out in Shinjuku that is absolutely to die for. We should go some time!"

**Wait. Did I just-**

"Sure."

She rocked on her heels while glancing around the cafe, trying really anything to stop the thundering in her chest. Her saving grace was the barista, or so she thought.

As she picked up the mocha, the barista smiles at her , "You two enjoy the rest of your date."

Ann's eyes widened as her face reddened, "D-Date!? Me!?" she stuttered, pointing at herself in question.

The barista laughed, then handed Akira his cup, "She's a shy one, isn't she?"

He replied, "Not normally, but it's the first time we've gone out like this."

She flashed them both a knowing smile, "Ooh, well don't let me keep you. Go on."

The pair thanked her for the drinks and left the coffee shop.

"There's a park near here that we can walk and sit down for a bit while we enjoy our coffees if you're interested," said Akira.

Ann knew of the park. It was a place she frequented to relax.

"Yeah," she replied sheepishly. "Let's go."

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They walked through the park together for a while, up until Akira stopped to watch the moonlight reflect off the pond's surface.

"Nice way to end the day, don't you think?" he asked.

She joined him, standing at his side and following suit, "But I gotta ask..."

He glanced at her.

"Well as nice as this is, aren't we taking things too... you know lightly?"

"You're talking about tomorrow..."

She nodded.

He finished off his coffee before speaking, "Tomorrow is tomorrow, and when the time comes I'll be focused on that. But right now, it's just Ann Takamaki and Akira Kurusu enjoying each other's company on nice spring evening."

**Akira...**

He noticed her lingering silence and spoke up again, "Unless you're not enjoying it."

"No, no, no!" Ann was quick correct. "I'm enjoying it, a lot... It's unexpected is all. I didn't imagine that we'd be doing this at all, especially tonight."

"Your observations about me were right. I have been more distant, and perhaps I have been pushing myself too hard," he scratched the back of his head. "Maybe this is just my way of trying to ease your worries."

She was certain her smile looked pretty goofy right now, but she didn't care, couldn't help it even if she did. Ann turned him towards her, then hugged him.

"Thank you, Akira, really. It means a lot that you went out of your way to do this. Hopefully this helped you as much as it did for me."

"I think so," he replied, returning the hug.

"Hehe. Then, I'm glad."

They stayed like that for a few moments, until Akira asked, "Ready to go?"

Breaking away, she looked up at him still smiling, "Yeah, let's head home."

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Before classes the next morning, Ryuji wanted the group to meet up near the school bulletin board to show off his craftsmanship. On her way, Ann decided she'd grant Ryuji's wish and stopped by.

"I heard it was already posted by the time everyone got here this morning," she overheard one of the students gossip.

**He would've had to have gotten here pretty early to pull this off. I'm actually surprised. Let's see what the card says.**

**"Sir Suguru Kamoshida, the utter bastard of lust. We know how shitty you are, and that you put your twisted desires on students that can't fight back. That's why we have decided to steal away those desires and make you confess your sins. This will be done tomorrow, so we hope you will be ready. From the Phantom Thieves of Hearts."**

Ann shook her head, "...Wow."

When she made her way to the other three boys, she noticed the smug grin Ryuji was wearing and couldn't help but sigh at the sight.

"Not bad, eh?" boasted the vulgar blonde. "I looked up a bunch of similar stuff online for reference."

"Um... Yeah... I know what you wanted to say, but it sounded like an idiot trying to be an adult," Ann admitted.

"Your logo's a little lacking, too," Morgana added, further decreasing the blonde's pride.

Ryuji was quick to defend himself, "OK, y'know what? Th-That ain't true!" He then gestured over to the crowd of students. "...It got everyone excited, so it's all good, yeah?"

"Who's responsible for this...!?" bellowed a familiar voice from the crowd.

"...Look at that," pointed out Morgana. "A predictable reaction for someone who knows what we mean by distorted desires."

The smug grin returned to Ryuji's face upon seeing the spectacle, "I think it's hittin' him pretty hard."

Noticing the group watching from afar, Kamoshida then shifted his attention to the two boys, "...Was it you two!?"

"What if it was?" retorted Akira, earning him a concerned glance from Ann and Ryuji, while also rewarding him with the reaction he was looking for from the perverse gym teacher.

He got into Akira's face and glared down at him, "What garbage..." he thought aloud while the two stood their ground against one another.

The bell rang, and Kamoshida backed off, but not before he scoffed, "Eh, it's not a problem. You'll be expelled soon enough anyways."

"Judging from Kamoshida's response... I'm sure we had an effect on his Palace!" noted Morgana.

"Does that mean the Treasure's appeared!? We'll be able to get today, right?" asked Ann.

Morgana shook his head, "It's not just 'today.' It's ONLY today. The impact of seeing a calling card doesn't last long, and it cannot be repeated. This will be our one chance to steal the Treasure."

Ryuji smirked and shrugged, "One day's more than enough for us!"

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"The atmosphere is completely different this around," noted Panther when they reentered the Metaverse.

"Don't let your guard down!" Mona warned.

"Yeah!" agreed Ann. "It's a long way to the top."

Skull's shoulders immediately slumped, "Y'mean we gotta climb to the top again!? Seriously!?" he groaned.

"Quit your whining!" snipped Mona. "We got no other choice."

"Actually..." cut in Joker, holding out his phone. "We do."

The three turned to him wearing quizzical expressions.

He beckoned them closer.

"What did you have in mind, Joker?" asked Panther.

"I can teleport us to the throne room through my phone."

Skull looked at him, eyes disbelieving, "You can do that!? Then how come you didn't do that when we were grindin' our asses off in the beginnin'?"

"Skull!" scolded Panther.

"It's fine," Joker reassured. "Two things. One, I didn't know how to do it at the time. Two, it only takes us to places where the distortion is weakest; the safe rooms."

"Anyways..." coughed Mona. "If it takes where we need to go, who cares? Let's get going, Joker!"

The thieves huddled together, and when Joker selected his destination, similar to the way they entered the Metaverse, they suddenly found themselves just outside the throne room.

"Holy shit! It really did work!" exclaimed Skull.

"Good work, Joker!" praised Mona. "Now let's steal that Treasure!"

"Wait a sec... What the hell's goin' on here?" asked a perplexed Skull. "The door's just sittin' open, and there aren't any soldiers around..."

"Who cares? We win as long as we steal the Treasure, now hurry up!" ordered Mona.

Getting inside the treasure room was easy enough, now it was a matter of escaping with said Treasure. Joker knew that it wasn't going to be as easy getting in, though that didn't seem to be much of a concern for one team member.

"Aww yeeeeaaaaaaah! The Treasure has appeared!" cheered Mona.

Skull sized it up in awe, "Man, it's huge!"

"Ahh... this shine brings tears to my eyes..."

"...It kinda pisses me off," admitted Panther. "Why's it so pretty...? Isn't this Kamoshida's desires?"

To Mona, everything turned to white noise the longer he stared at the magnificent jewelled crown before him, "T-Treasure..."

Skull scratched the back of his head, "Uh, the cat's actin' awfully excited."

"What's wrong?" asked Panther, who was only half listening. "Is something...?"

Her answer came seconds later when Mona suddenly began rubbing his fur all over the Treasure while purring.

_Interesting... Did this happen to everything he perceives as valuable? Moreover, why would the embodiment of human desire be something he'd consider valuable?_

Meanwhile, Skull was trying to snap their feline friend out of his stupor by attempting to yank him off the floating crown, "Get... off... you... stupid... cat... There!"

Once pulled free, Mona appeared to come to his senses.

He coughed awkwardly while apologizing, "Oh, um, yeah... Forgive me for displaying such an insolent sight in front of a lady..."

"You were completely out of character too," added Panther. "What was that about?"

"I couldn't stop it either..." Mona shivered. "To think I'd be drawn to human desires this much..." His eyes then lit up." Doesn't that prove that I'm human!?"

It didn't, but they had more pressing matters to attend to than Mona's unusual behaviour.

"Still, that was easier than I thought!" said Skull, grabbing an end of the crown. "I thought for sure there'd be some insane trap or something."

Panther shook her head, "You just had to say it didn't you?"

"What!?"

She glanced to Mona, "His Palace will disappear if we take this back, right? And Kamoshida will change too..."

Mona could only shrug ambiguously, "...That should be the case."

"Good. Now's our chance then," declared Skull.

The three Shujin students each took a third of the crown.

"It's heavy..." complained Panther.

Mona looked over the three, "To think it'd go so well... I've even found three Persona users in the process..." He then nodded in satisfaction and turned to Joker. "My judgement was correct. I made the right choice in making a deal with you! Nyhaha!"

The three then heaved the gargantuas crown out of the treasure room while Mona kept watch. Everything appeared to be according to plan, until...

"I won't let anyone take this!" declared a familiar voice before a volleyball spike knocked the crown away from the three.

Skull clenched his fists, "Kamoshida!"

The Pervert King laughed while snatching up the crown, flaunting it in front of the thieves, "This proves that I am the king of this castle—it is the core of this world!"

"That rat bastard! He's going to pay for all of this!" snarled Panther.

"Yo, pervert," bellowed Skull. "Were you waitin' to ambush us?"

Kamoshida snickered, "I just made it easier to find you. I'll dispose of you myself. Right here, right now."

"That's our line, you sexually harassing' D-bag!" Skull retorted.

"What a selfish misunderstanding..."

Panther crossed her arms while she continued to glare holes through Kamoshida, "How is it a misunderstanding!? You were doing things that you kept in secret from others!"

Kamoshida's sly grin only grew, "The people around me were the ones who kept it secret. Adults who want to share in my accomplishments, students who have the drive to become winners... They willingly protect me so that we all may profit from it.

"There are too many imbeciles who don't understand that! Including naive brats like you and that girl who tried to kill herself!"

"True, she's a total idiot... letting you manipulate her, trying to commit suicide... And I'm even more of a dumbass for not realizing that...!" confessed Panther before she spat. "But no matter what kind of fool someone might be... They don't need your permission to live their lives!"

"Drop the attitude, you mediocre peasant!" Kamoshida spat back. "There's no wrong in using my gifts for my gain! I'm a cut above all other humans!"

"Above...? You mean beneath. You're a goddamn demon obsessed with your sick desires!"

A menacing aura suddenly began to ooze out of Kamoshida.

"That's right. I'm not like you..."

Skull began to backpedal as the aura grew stronger, "Uhh, Panther? I think you may have pissed him off!"

"Seriously, Skull!?" admonished Panther. " I don't give a fu- huh?"

"Wh-What the hell...!?" stammered Skull as Kamoshida began transforming into a grotesque beast.

By the end of the transformation, he grew another story in height, grew an extra pair of arms, his tongue had elongated several dozens of metres that acted like some kind of freakish whip, there was a trophy cup that had suddenly appeared in front of him which held the female volleyball players inside, and he wore a belt that had members of the boys volleyball team chained to it.

Revolting was the only word Panther could think of to describe this... thing. It wasn't even human anymore.

"I'm allowed to do whatever the hell I want!" The beast bellowed.

Mona pointed to the top of the beast's head, "Look! The Treasure's over there! Let's wait for an opportunity to steal it!"

Asmodeus Kamoshida was kick to go on the offensive, whipping the volleyball boys to attack the group with spiked volleyballs. However, Mona was quick to counter the attack, using Garu to send their trajectory askew. Skull and Joker used this opening to take out the boys in one fell swoop.

"You're goin' to have to fight us yourself, you bastard!" declared Skull.

"Come at me, you pieces of shit! I ain't lettin' you sleep tonight!" goaded Kamoshida.

Panther took the opportunity to snatch one of the beast's arms and expose it.

"Now, you guys!" she ordered.

Mona and Joker quickly swept in and cut off the arm.

"All right!" Panther cheered. "If we can take out the other- what!?"

She wouldn't get a chance to finish her sentence as Kamoshida had other plans. Quickly impaling one of the volleyball girl's with a fork, he then shoved her in his mouth and ate her. Seconds later, the amputated arm regrew to its original form.

Mona's mouth was hung agape, "He healed himself...?"

Amidst the group's awe, Kamoshida went on the offensive once again. This time, snatching Panther with his tongue.

"L-Let me go, you creep!" she ushered while trying to struggle free.

Kamoshida laughed menacingly, "I can't wait to gobble you up, my sexy kitten."

Skull charged in first to try and save her, "Let go of her!" he shouted while casting Zio.

"You idiot!" yelled Mona.

"Huh?"

By the time Skull realized, the damage had already been done.

The attack was merely absorbed into Kamoshida's body, unfortunately the same couldn't be said for Panther, and was shocked unconscious. Asmodeus then smacked Skull into a nearby column, but before he could ingest Panther, Mona jumped into the fray.

"I won't let you harm, Lady Ann!"

He went after the tongue with his sabre in attempt to cut her free, however, his attack merely bounced off the gelatinous tongue. Kamoshida quickly countered by catching the feline mid air, then slamming him into the floor, adding a few extra ground punches for good measure.

_Physical and elemental attacks don't have enough an effect on him, and alone, I don't think can get him to release Panther. Think, what does he value above his libido?_

The trophy resting at his feet then glinted at him.

_It's worth a shot._

Calling upon Orobas, Joker quickly cast Agi at the trophy, successfully managing to melt the trophy into a puddle of gold.

"No way..." cried out Kamoshida. "This was from when I won the national..."

It appeared that Joker successfully managed to deflate the beast and create an opening, but...

"You think you can get away with doing such a thing? Do you know who I am!?"

The fire in Kamoshida's eyes returned tenfold, and in that split second, tried to swallow Panther.

_No!_

Without thinking twice about it, Joker attempted to go after Panther; he'd cut Kamoshida from the inside out to save her if he had to. There was no way he could accept this being the end for her.

Suddenly there was a white flash, Joker then felt something smack against him and send him flying backwards. When the colour returned, Panther was in his arms unharmed, and inside Kamoshida's mouth...

_Cognitive Takamaki... but why?_

They locked eyes, she blew him a kiss, then Kamoshida snapped his mouth shut. Flames erupted around him as devouring the cognitive version of Ann seemed to awaken some kind of power within.

"It's over!" the beast declared with renewed vigour.

"That's right!" called out a familiar voice. "It's over, but for you!"

The crown was then knocked off Kamoshida's head, and just like that, all that power seemed to disappear. Mona reappeared, then regrouped with Joker, Skull lumbered over as well.

"How is she?" asked Skull, unable to bring himself to look at her.

"I'm fine," growled Panther, though wincing afterwards. "But you and I are going to have a talk later!"

"Y-Yes, ma'am!"

She looked up at Joker and smiled, "Thank you. Could you, um, help me up? My legs still feel a little numb."

He nodded tersely.

Mona also cast healing magic on her while she worked to regain her footing.

Back on her feet, the thieves returned their attention to the deflated Kamoshida.

"Nooo... My... precious...!" he sobbed.

"Let's end this!" cried out Panther.

The rest of the group rallied behind her, pouring everything they had into an all-out attack. Once the dust settled from the devastation, Kamoshida's form returned to what it was prior.

"Looks like that's settled!" cheered Skull.

"Hurry, nab the Treasure!" ordered Mona.

"Yeah, yeah!" he replied, rolling his eyes. "Geez, all you do is bark orders..."

Skull went for the crown, but in one last attempt to protect his desires, Kamoshida snatched the crown and attempted to make a run for it. Though, only managing to run into a dead end.

"What's wrong? No where left to go? Why don't you run...? Aren't you a great athlete?" taunted Panther.

"It's always been like this... all those goddamn hyenas forcing their expectations on me...!" Kamoshida hissed. "I'm doing this all for them! What's wrong with demanding a reward for that!?"

"Now you're makin' excuses...?" scoffed Skull. "We'll do something about that distorted heart of yours."

Kamoshida tried desperately to search for a way to escape, but to no avail.

This was it.

"Scared?" asked Panther. "Right now, you're seeing the same view that Shiho did."

She inched her way closer to Kamoshida, "I'm sure she was scared too... except she had no choice but to jump... What will you do? Will you jump?... Or would you rather die here?"

Carmen manifested behind her, her flames ready to send the one that caused her so much grief to the depths of hell where he belonged.

"Do you want to finish him off?" asked Mona. "It's your call."

"No, please wait! I beg you... Just forgive meeee!"

"Shut up," Panther snarled. "I bet you told everyone the same. But you. You took everything from them!"

She sent a warning shot by his head.

"I accept defeat..." stammered Kamoshida. "You want this? Take it."

He then tossed the crown over to Joker.

"Go ahead and finish me off..." he muttered with tears streaming down his face. "You do that... and my real self will go down too... You have that right since you've won..."

Seeing the pompous and arrogant bastard wallowing in fear and reduced to this pathetic stated pissed her off to no end.

**He committed all these crimes, hurt all these people, and he thinks that putting on this sorry act will fix that!?**

She fired another shot of Agi, but blew it past Kamoshida once again.

Her body was seething in anger, the temptation to seek revenge by killing him was all too tantalizing, however...

"If his mind shuts down, he can't confess to his crimes," she managed to say between gritted teeth.

"You're kind, Lady Ann..." praised Mona.

_No, there are fates worse than death Mona._

Joker glanced at Panther.

_She's going to haunt him for the rest of his life..._

Kamoshida bowed before the group on his knees, "I've lost. You're through when you lose..." He looked up at Joker pleadingly. "What am I- What am I supposed to do now...?"

"Atone for your sins," he answered.

The fallen king's body began to glow, "All right... I'll make certain that I-"

And just like that, he disappeared.

"Hey, just so you know, we don't have time to waste," warned Morgana.

A warning that didn't come fast enough...

Black ooze suddenly surrounded them, filling up the entire room knee deep in an instant.

_Is this... tar?_

"Wh-What's going on!?" demanded Panther.

"How should I know?" stammered Mona.

The pillars and other surrounding structures then sunk and disappeared beneath the tar like substance.

"Aren't you the expert!?" she fired back.

Suddenly, creatures that looked eerily similar to shadows surfaced from the tar.

Skull's eyes went wide with fear, "You guys! We need to get out of here!"

"No shit! But I-I can't move!" cried Panther.

"Same here!" admitted Mona.

"Can't you-I don't know-use your cat powers and whisk us on outta of here?" asked Skull trying not to let the panic settle in.

"I told you that I am NOT a cat!"

"Seriously you two!? Now's not the time!" scolded Panther.

These creatures slithered towards the group, or rather, one person specifically.

"Joker! Let him go you assholes!" Panther screamed, now doubling her efforts to try and move.

Skull was scratching his head in a frenzy, "Shit, shit, shit! What are we gonna do!?"

The shadows then latched themselves onto Joker, and while he was trying to fight back, he couldn't move.

It was useless.

They then pulled him under the tar, and dragged him away.

As he was struggling to break free and keep his head above the tar, Joker could hear the screams of friends growing faint...

...and see a black mask staring at him from above.


	12. A New Foe?

A/N: The embodiment of consistency is back once again. We're finally wrapping up the Kamoshida arc, just... several more to go. Thanks to those who have been reading and following, really it's much appreciated.

Enjoy the chapter.

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Joker didn't know where he'd been dragged to, but eventually the unknown tar creatures let him go. After regaining his balance, he noticed another approach him; wearing that black mask he'd seen earlier. The mysterious person then summons unknown structures from the tar, and begins to levitate atop them.

It also began to rain.

The man gracefully bows, "The name's Higgs. The particle of God that permeates all existence."

Higg's then looks past Joker, "Ah, so it was you who dragged him into all this?"

Joker follows his gaze, but doesn't see anyone there.

_Who's he talking to?_

"Heh. Bloodied but unbowed."

Joker returned his attention to Higgs, and reared back when he realized that their faces were mere inches apart.

Higgs leans in closer and takes a deep sniff of Joker, "What's that? Suguru Kamoshida has had a change of heart? Shujin Academy's heart and soul. Dead and burned."

He takes another whiff, then begins to circle the thief.

"Oh, but you still don't realize the implications of what you've done, haha. Well that won't wash," he pats Joker on the back. "But don't worry, I'll let you in on a little secret. It'll be between just you and me.

"You see, I've come to understand the truth of the Metaverse. Oh, there's so much you people don't know. The old man, for instance—he's not like you or me. Personas' ain't his thing. He's more into destruction on a worldwide scale. An Extinction Entity."

His hands suddenly turn into black puffs of smoke, he shakes his head, "Oh, it's so hard to form connections when you can't shake hands... Fortunately, I've got a good connection to the other side.

"Now you? You're just a nobody. But me? I'm bound to all of it—this world, that world, and our sweet little angel of death."

Tendrils formed on his fingertips, which he stuck into the tar and began to pull, and pull on something massive. And once he reached the end of the line, a large, slug-like beast erupted from the depths of the tar. It had a set of stubby tentacles surrounding its "head", as well as larger wing-like tentacles sprouting from its back. A golden skull-like protrusion; similar to the mask of Higgs, sat atop the frontal head area of the creature.

Joker could only stare in awe when the tar beast roared.

_How the hell did he summon that?_

Higgs chortled and waggled his index finger at him, "You're on the menu. All it'll take is one itty-bitty voidout to blow us all to kingdom come!"

He then approached Joker, and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, "So how 'bout it? Aren't you getting tired of the grind? Isn't this what you've been waiting for this whole time?

"A game over!?"

Higgs vanished, leaving just him and the beast to tango.

What concerned Joker, was what Higgs mentioned at the end. It brought up something in a past conversation with Caroline and Justine.

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"Voidout?" asked Joker.

Caroline nodded, "Listen well, Inmate! You don't wanna get eaten by what is called a 'catcher.' If you do it's kaboom!"

"Kaboom?"

"Catchers have antimatter from this world that, if it connects with the matter from your world, causes a massive explosion," explained Justine.

"Then kaboom!" shouted Caroline, emphasizing with her hands an explosion. "Not only would you die from the explosion, but it would also destroy the surrounding area."

"If a Palace ruler dies, they would surely suffer a mental shutdown in the real world. A voidout would guarantee such a thing happens."

Joker scratched his chin, "Are catchers common?"

The two shook their heads.

"Not really," mused Caroline. "But they're very dangerous. Nothing like a typical shadow, they come only when summoned. Save for one."

He raised an eyebrow at her words.

Justine fiddled with her clipboard as she spoke, "In a place called Mementos, there's a particular catcher that's not like the other ones."

His curiosity peaked, "How so?"

"It roams freely," answered Caroline. "Patrolling all of Mementos in search of people like you, and if he were to get his hands on you... heh."

"It would trigger a voidout on such a scale that would lead to mass mental shutdowns," Justine stated.

Caroline shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, "No one really knows where it came from or why it's there. Just that it is, and that you should avoid it at all costs."

"Mementos..." he repeated. "What is that place?"

"You'll find out soon enough," snickered Caroline.

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_Blood from a Persona user also acts as a repellent which can drive them away. The twins mentioned that as well. Which means..._

It was only a brief moment of pain, but a necessary evil if it meant getting out of this conflict alive.

The beast roared, ready to pounce and consume its prey.

Joker raised his blood soaked dagger at the beast.

_It's showtime!_

The two leapt at one another. Joker dodged the tentacle swipe by grappling onto nearby texture that surfaced from the tar. He then successfully lopped off one of the tentacles coming in for a swift second strike, before leaping onto the catcher's back to try and end the fight quickly.

However, the beast wouldn't allow itself to be thwarted so easily. It grabbed Joker by his ankle before he could escape, slammed him into one of the nearby structures, and then slammed him once more into the tar.

He wiped away the blood trickling down his chin once he staggered to his feet.

The beast then submerged itself under the tar in an attempt to cloak itself, however, Joker was easily able to tell where it was thanks to Third Eye. He grappled to one of the floating structures, and followed the catcher's movements, waiting for an opening.

He lunged toward the beast, dagger at the ready, but the beast had anticipated his anticipation. It propelled itself from the tar with its mouth open, ready to swallow him. Joker managed to grapple away once again, but the beast wouldn't relent it's assault. It quickly anchored itself before Joker could propel himself to safety and began sucking everything in like a vacuum.

_Shit! The grappling hook isn't going to hold out much longer. At this rate..._

When the hook gave way, he acted quickly and called upon the Slime Persona. Letting it siphon some of his blood into its form, Slime then wrapped itself around the orifice-like mouth of the catcher and detonated. The blood coated most of the catcher, and the shock of the attack caused it to lose its anchor. Joker used this opportunity to throw his dagger at its neck, then kick it through the beast in one fell swoop.

The catcher screeched as it stumbled back into the tar, with Joker landing a few feet in front of it.

_Is it... over...?_

A tentacle suddenly sprouted from the tar and snatched Joker. The catcher; albeit unsteadily, brought itself face to face with the thief and roared its discontent.

"Heh, you're one to talk," Joker shrugged. "Look at me."

The beast slammed Joker into the tar a few more times before opening its mouth. There was no where for him to go this time, no way he could escape the catcher's grasp, no one to come save him. This was it, his game over.

Yet, while staring death right in the face, Joker couldn't keep the cocksure grin off of his own.

He pulled off his mask, "Arsene, do it!"

Arsene manifested above the beast and then cleaved it in half for the final blow. It went silent moment, then gold crystals started forming all over the catcher until it was completely covered.

Seconds later the crystallized form of the catcher shattered, the rain stopped, and the tar vanished. Joker could only look around in confusion as he tried to gather a second wind.

It's like this battle never even took place. Everything is going back to how it was before.

The important thing was that it was over, though he wasn't sure what to make of it, or why any of it happened. Who was Higgs, and why did he suddenly show up when he did? How was he related to Kamoshida? What did he mean by the old man being an Extinction Entity?

Far too many questions and no information to go off of. It was troubling to say the least.

He looked down at the crown the group had worked so hard to obtain.

_Just what kind of events are we setting in motion by doing this?_

"Joker!" called Skull from the top of the stairwell. "Joker, are you down there!?"

"He has to be," declared Panther. "I know he is!"

When the three made it to the bottom of the stairs, Joker greeted them a casual wave, "Yo."

Panther practically tackled him in a hug, tears brimming, "I'm so glad you're okay! When I seen you get dragged away I..."

Skull placed a hand on his shoulder, "We were all worried, man."

Joker nodded, but a sudden wave of nausea brought him to a knee.

Panther knelt down beside him, her voice shaky, "H-Hey, what's wrong?"

His breathing was laboured when he responded, "A little tired, I guess..."

Mona had his arms crossed, "It's because you used your Persona, isn't it?"

He nodded, and the other two looked at Mona confused.

Skull cocked his head to the side, "Whaddya mean?"

"Persona's have elemental attacks as you all know, but some of them also have physical attacks. These attacks consume blood to use, but can be very powerful in the right situation. However..."

"Use too much, and you could end up hurting yourself more than helping..." Panther finished, then glanced at Joker with a mix of emotions.

Mona nodded, "Correct. You need to be smart with how you use your Persona's, otherwise they may end up doing you more harm than good. It's important to remember that."

"Yeah..." she replied, still looking at Joker through the corner of her eye.

"I'll be fine," Joker reassured the group as he stood up.

Though Panther's intuition was telling her otherwise.

Unfortunately, she wouldn't be able to act on it as the entire complex began to shake erratically.

"Hey, just so you know, we don't have time to waste," warned Mona. "This place is about to collapse!"

Skull placed both hands on Joker's shoulders and began to shake him in his panic, "Come on, Joker! Teleport us back to the entrance!"

Snatching his wrists and removing them from his person, Joker shook his head, "The Palace is in disarray, there's no way to teleport us."

He scratched the side of his head, looked around, sighed, then took off in a sprint, "Shit! Then run!" he yelled over his shoulder.

Joker and Mona quickly took the helm, and led the group through the hallways and corridors as efficiently as they could amidst the falling debris.

"We're gonna die! We're so gonna die!" screamed Panther after she narrowly dodged a bookshelf that fell through the floor above.

It was just a 200m dash to the exit, the end was in sight, but just behind them was a wall of death that was rapidly approaching.

"Shit!" yelped Skull, clutching his leg as tripped onto the ground.

Despite the danger around them, the three weren't about leave one of their friends behind to die in a place like this, however, he waved them off when he seen them turn around.

"It's okay," he reassured them. "Just been a while is all."

He heaved himself up and winced. The pain was still very much there, but he could push through it.

The collapsing ceiling was right on their tails now, it was a mad sprint to the finish.

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"That sucked..." groaned Ann, who was huddled over against a wall trying to regain her breath.

The thieves had barely managed to make it back to the alley from where they first entered the Palace.

"Look at the nav!" Ryuji ushered to the other two after checking his phone.

"The destination has been deleted," jingled the Metaverse Navigator.

Ann sighed as she recounted what had transpired, "...It's true. We can't go there anymore."

"What about the Treasure!?" asked Mona, who seemed like he was on the verge of tears.

Akira flashed the gold medal from his pocket to the group.

Ryuji's face scrunched up, "What the...?"

Ann's expression wasn't so different, "...A medal? Wait, where'd that crown go?"

Ryuji's impatience was starting to show, as he crossed his arms and began tapping his foot, "What's goin' on...?"

"It's the source of Kamoshida's desires," Akira answered before he tucked the medal back into his blazer pocket.

Morgana nodded his assent, "To him, this medal is worth as much as that crown we saw in the Palace."

The gears started to turn in Ryuji's head, piecing the puzzle together, "An Olympic Medal... So, that perv kept clingin' to his past glory and couldn't let it go..."

"But... this means that Kamoshida's heart might've changed, right?" asked Ann, sounding woefully hopeful.

Morgana shrugged ambiguously, "...Probably."

"Our expulsion's on the line here!" reminded Ryuji.

The cat frowned, "This is the first successful example for me too."

"Ugh, I feel all antsy! Ain't there a way to check now?"

Akira shrugged, "We'll know soon enough."

That didn't settle the unease in Ann's heart, "Right..."

"Come on, why the gloomy faces?" asked Morgana. "Be happy! We completed this with great success, you know."

"We just don't know if everything's OK yet..." Ryuji explained.

"I'm pretty sure it'll be fine. Remember how Kamoshida's Shadow said that he's returning to his self in reality? Suguru Kamoshida was a scum.

"Still... He did seem to regain his conscience somewhat at the end."

"I'm sure it worked," Akira agreed.

"There are definitely those who have been saved thanks to what you have done."

"Yeah..." Ann recalled how she failed to save Shiho, but in failing her, it gave her the motivation to make sure no one would have to suffer how they both did. She hoped the mission wasn't in vain.

"Anyways, I guess we gotta wait," sighed Ryuji. "It all boils down to what's gonna happen to Kamoshida... or if we're gettin' expelled for real..."

Akira nodded, "Let's be patient."

To Akira, that was the only course of action now. They've done their part, now it was time to see if the fruits of their labour payed off. And when he considered what Higgs and the twins told him, he was confident everything would work out.

"...Right. C'mon, let's go home."

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"Later," waved Akira, as this was the corner that led to Leblanc.

"Wait!" blurted out Ann, who had been fidgeting awkwardly the entire train ride back.

They haven't spoken a word to one another since they decided to head home, and each passing minute had Ann growing more anxious. She couldn't leave things like this, not after all that he's done for her.

He stopped and peered over his shoulder, "Hmm?"

"Thank you..." she mumbled, her gaze averted and her hands intertwined behind her back.

"For what?"

"You know what," she locked eyes with him. "I finally got to avenge Shiho because of you guys... I'm pretty sure there was no way I'd have been able to do anything on my own." She then bowed low. "So seriously, thank you. I owe you so much."

She suddenly felt his hand against her shoulder, causing her form to stiffen.

"You don't owe me anything, so you don't need to bow."

She raised her head to meet his gaze, clearly perplexed.

"You helped more than you think," he reaffirmed.

"You think? I'm glad to hear that..."

The butterflies in her stomach could attest to it as well.

"A-Anyway!" she veered the topic to let her heart have a chance to slow down. "The cognitive world was pretty crazy, huh? I can't believe we actually stole someone's heart... What a mysterious place."

"It is in-" He dropped down to one knee, clutching his head.

"Akira!" Ann knelt down beside him, expression full of worry. "What's wrong?"

He waved her off, "Just tired, nothing serious."

Ann suspected otherwise, she knew Akira was one to keep himself composed even in states of discomfort.

**For him to react like this...**

"Don't push yourself too hard, okay?" Her eyes pleading as she helped him to his feet.

He nodded, then turned to leave, "I'd best be going then."

She's not really sure what caused her to do it, but before she realized it, Ann had her arms wrapped around him in a hug. She rested her head on his back, and they ended up staying like that for what felt like an eternity. No words need be exchanged, there was a mutual understanding between them.

When she ended up pulling away, tears formed in the corners of her eyes.

"H-How embarrassing," she muttered while wiping at her eyes. "I don't know why, but they won't stop coming out."

Akira cupped her cheek and wiped her tears away, giving her a smile that she's never seen before.

He left without saying a word.

However, there was so much more that she wanted to say, more that she wanted to do for the man that turned her life around. Sure they haven't seen any results from the mission yet, but it feels like a weight's been lifted off her shoulders. For a long time now, there has been a darkness that's shrouded her, followed her wherever she went. The fiasco with Kamoshida only made those feelings worse, made the darkness more suffocating. It got to the point where she felt that there was no way out, that resigning herself as Kamoshida's pet was the best thing she could do for herself, and for her only friend... Thinking back on it still forces a shudder out of her.

That all changed when she met Akira.

From their first encounter taking shelter from the rain, there was something about him that clicked with her. Since then, she's been learning more about him day by day. Taking in every opportunity she can to grow closer to him, to understand him. While she's still sorting all of these feelings out, there was one thing that was for certain.

**He's a light—my light. He's given me hope when I had none. He showed me a way out of this hell hole when I thought there was no escape. He put everything on the line to give me a second chance. He's... incredible.**

Ann watched Akira's fleeting silhouette until it disappeared around the corner.

**Hopefully one day, I'll have the courage to tell him that.**


	13. Kamoshida's Confession

A/N: Well, look who it is. Indeed I have returned. What can I say? It's been a wild 2020. I'm terribly sorry for the long... long time between updates. I've had so many things happen, that I've either not had the time, energy, or motivation to give you guys and myself the story that I want to put out there. I hope you guys can forgive me. I've had to deal with a relationship that went pretty south which drained a lot out of me, being forced to move out for the first time, overworking at my job, and trying to balance my hobbies with the minimal free time I did have.

On top of which, all of these going on in the world have given me cause to reflect. In particular, there were people I looked up to and admired, that have unfortunately been caught in scandal in the gaming community; more specifically communities I'm very involved in. The two being Destiny 2 and Smash Bros. I won't dive into the details here, but after finding out stuff for myself, it made me do a lot of thinking.

At the end of it all, I hope you guys are finding ways to keep your minds healthy and staying safe. A lot of restrictions are being lifted where I'm at, but I know that's not the case for everyone, and that's very taxing for a lot of people.

Be kind to one another, I know I'm just a stranger to all of you, but there's enough going on in the world that we don't need any more senseless negativity. Make sure to take care of yourselves. If anyone needs someone to talk to anonymously, don't be afraid to send a pm, and we can talk.

Alas, enjoy the chapter.

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"Hey..." Sojiro placed a cup in front of Akira at the counter. "Coffee good for you?"

He nodded, "Thanks."

The old man shrugged, "When you came back yesterday, you just went up to your room and passed out."

"Long day," he answered before taking a sip of his coffee.

Sojiro eyed the spectacled boy suspiciously, "You're not causing any trouble are you?"

The door rang, and two men in business suits enter. One being a tall and burly man, the other slender.

The tall one pointed at him, "Akira Kurusu... That is your name correct?"

He nodded tersely.

Both men give each other a nod before they approached him. The slender one pulled out a piece of paper, and handed it to him.

"Something from your father."

Akira eyed the paper curiously.

_Father? _

Though after careful inspection of the contents written on it, it was clear that it was nothing more than trash.

"You two seem to be misinformed," Akira scoffed. "I'm no longer part of the Kurusu family, why am I getting this?"

"He insisted that we send it," informed the burly man.

Akira polished off the rest of his coffee, thanked Sojiro for the drink, then grabbed his bag and headed for the door.

"Mr. Kurusu!" called out the burly man. "It is expected that you attend this event!"

His hand stopped at the door, and without looking back he said, "I got school..."

He then left without another word.

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"The board meeting's today, right?" asked Ann as they waited for their train.

Akira nodded.

"You're gonna get expelled if he doesn't have a change of heart, right? Aren't you the least bit worried!?"

"Not really."

Shock didn't begin to describe how she felt hearing that, "Huh!?"

Was he being serious? She could hardly even sleep last night from all the stress eating away at her. How could he possibly act all calm like that!?

He shrugged, "We've done all we could, no point in stressing about it now. What happens, happens..."

"That's a horrible way to look at it," she frowned.

"That's your opinion," he countered.

Her frown only deepened, "You're being way too laidback, Akira!"

Their train arrived, ending the conversation there when they went to board the train.

**Does he not understand what's at stake here? What did we risk our lives for if nothing changes?**

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As they were walking to the school gate, Akira knew he couldn't leave things how they were at the station. Not when he felt the storm cloud brewing beside him.

"Takamaki."

She quickly glared at him, "It's Ann! A-N-N, Ann!"

"You've been scowling this whole time."

Her hands moved to her hips, her eyes flared with more intensity, "Yeah! And!?"

"Don't lose hope."

All of the tension she had been holding up to this point seemed to release with those three words. He was right. No matter how they felt about the situation, they couldn't give up hope that all that they worked for was for nothing. They had to believe in themselves, in each other, in the work they put in to bring a criminal's crimes to light.

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It was time for the assembly. The board meeting was around lunchtime, so if they didn't hear anything by then, then...?

Akira could overhear many of the students expressing their displeasure for the assembly. Understandable, and as much as he'd like to say he was surprised to hear their lack of interest on the topic being discussed, he wasn't. The entire situation with Suzui was just an inconvenience to them. They just wanted to get on with their lives. A sad and harsh truth.

Principal Kobayakowa took to the stage, "Let's begin this school-wide morning assembly. As you all know, a tragic event took place the other day. Thankfully, we have been informed that she has pulled through, but it will take some time to recovers.

"Everyone here has a bright future ahead. I implore that you rethink the importance of life and—"

The gym doors suddenly slammed opened, and Ann's eyes grew wide at who was standing between them.

**Kamoshida...**

"Mr. Kamoshida, what's the-"

The gym teacher's posture was far from the pompous, arrogant one he usually had as he made his way to the stage. His tone was solemn when he addressed the students, "I... have been reborn. That is why I will confess everything to you all..."

**Confess? Could he mean...?**

"I have repeatedly done things that were... unbecoming of a teacher," he shamefully admitted. "Verbally abusing students... physically abusing my team, and... sexually harassing female students. I am the reason why Shiho Suzui tried to kill herself!"

Whispers scattered throughout the students once again. It seemed that the majority were still trying to wrap their heads around his bizarre statement. Ryuji and Ann couldn't hide their shocked expressions at what was happening, while Akira simply nodded to himself. He knew Kamoshida's reign was over the second they returned from the Metaverse.

Kamoshida then dropped to his knees, swallowing the lump in his throat as he continued on with his confession, "I thought of this school as my own castle... There were even students that I tried to sentence to expulsion, simply because I didn't like them... I will, of course, rescind those... I am truly sorry for putting innocent youths through such horrible acts...

"I am an arrogant, shallow... and shameful person. No, I'm worse than that... I will take responsibility and kill myself for it...!"

That caused Akira to twist his bangs uncomfortably.

_Kill himself? That wasn't part of the plan._

The principal was quick to rush to Kamoshida, "Mr. Kamoshida! Please get off the stage for now!"

_This is bad. If things end here, and Kamoshida does kill himself, then—_

A voice suddenly echoed throughout the gymnasium, "Don't run, you bastard!"

The gym went silent.

"Shiho's still alive even after all the things that made her want to die! You have no right to run from this!"

Ann refused to accept this ending. After all the bullshit he put her and her friends through, there was no way in hell she was going to let that bastard take the easy way out. He was going to spend the rest of his life begging for forgiveness, she would make sure of that.

"You're right... You're absolutely right..." choked Kamoshida. "I should be punished under the law and atone for my crimes..."

He gazed up at her, then bowed down again, "I did horrible things to Takamaki, as well. In return for giving Suzui a position on the team... I tried to force her into having relations."

She felt a bump on her shoulder. When she turned around, Ryuji had given her a thumbs up and a wink.

"As of today, I will resign from my position as instructor and turn myself in," Kamoshida then began to scan the students and staff frantically. "Someone, please call the police!"

"Return to your classrooms at once!" barked one of the teachers.

Speculation spread amongst the students like wildfire. What caused Kamoshida to confess? Why did he confess now of all times? All things that would serve to be only the beginning of the Phantom Thieves problems.

After the students dispersed, the three of them stayed behind to reflect on what just transpired.

"His heart really did change..." mused Ann, still not totally accepting the fact that a man as evil as Kamoshida could do such a big 180 like that.

"Seems like it. But, was this really for the best?" asked Ryuji.

Akira nodded, "I think so."

Ryuji sighed, still not completely convinced, "Yeah... it's gotta be. But- Huh?"

Following Ryuji's eyes over his shoulder, he seen Mishima and a few other female students approached the trio with their heads lowered.

"Takamaki... I'm sorry!" Mishima blurted out while bowing low. "We all knew... but we pretended we didn't."

One of the girls also piped up, "Takamaki, I had you all wrong... I'm sorry that I spread rumours about you!"

"I didn't know at all..." her friend admitted. "Kamoshida was forcefully pushing himself on you... It must've been so hard for you...! I'm sure there's a ton of people who want to apologize to you! We're so sorry...!"

They both bowed low as well, and Ann shook her head, beginning to feel overwhelmed.

"No, it's OK," she reassured them. "The same goes for me too..."

One of the teachers came by, warning them to not loiter and return to class. The female students left, but before Mishima followed suit he turned towards Akira.

With misty eyes, he slowly met Akira's gaze, "I can't apologize enough for what I did to you. ...I swear I'll make it up to you someday."

"Looks like Kamoshida ain't the only one that had a change of heart," Ryuji commented as they watched Mishima leave.

He then turned towards Ann, giving her a wide smile, "Man, I'm glad for you. Looks like those weird rumours are gonna go away."

"My thing doesn't really matter," she sighed. "We made Kamoshida apologize about Shiho... That's more than enough for me."

"You should hurry and tell her about it then."

"...Yeah."

It wasn't a total lie, but it wasn't the entire truth either. There was still something bothering her, in fact, he was standing across from her with his usual unreadable expression.

She sighed once again, deciding to head back to class. Since they were getting let out early, she would visit Shiho then.

Once Ann left, Ryuji nudged him, "I guess we should get goin' too. Hey, didn't Ann seem a little off to you?"

Akira raised an eyebrow, "Hm?"

"I mean, aren't you happy that he's gone? I don't know, I guess I was expectin' somethin'... more... I dunno, just forget it."

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Once lunchtime hit, everyone was quick to leave the school. After all, asking a bunch of adolescents to focus on schoolwork after what just transpired was a lost cause. It was basically a free day, yet for Ann, she'd much rather being doing schoolwork. Sitting around gave her too much time to think.

She heard Akira shuffling around behind her getting ready to leave, though he paused when she turned around in her chair to face him, "You get Ryuji's text? He wants to meet here a little later if that's okay."

"Should be fine."

She began to gather her things as she went on, "I might be a little late. I'm going to visit Shiho for a bit."

"Alright."

He flipped his bag over his shoulder and headed for the door, only to be stopped by Ann grabbing his blazer sleeve.

She garnered the courage to stop him, but now that he was looking at her with that intense stare...

"Would you..." her voice trailed off, her gaze following suit.

He stood there patiently, waiting for her to say what she needed to say. The problem was that no matter how hard she tried to force the words out, her throat would lock up like a vice.

**Damnit, why does this have to be so hard!?**

She kept her eyes downcast while letting go of his sleeve. In the end, she couldn't ask him to come with her to visit Shiho. He saved her, saved both of them from a terrible fate. He deserved to see the fruits of their labour, a life that he helped save. Yet, he was still being treated like the villain. She heard what people were saying, how Akira must've threatened to kill Kamoshida in order to confess; and that was one of the lighter things she heard. It hurt her to hear those kinds of things about him, she felt powerless to help his situation. In class, she glanced back a few times when she knew he could hear what the other students were saying, but if it did bother him, he never showed it.

It didn't sit right with her.

After she watched him leave the school grounds from the classroom window, Ann finished gathering the rest of her things and went to see Shiho.

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Tough didn't even begin to describe how Ann's visit to the hospital went. It was overwhelming, really overwhelming. She was almost back at the school, but her mind was still in that room with Shiho, replaying those events over and over. When she regained consciousness for the first time, they both sputtered out apologies about everything, and after that-

**I promise you Shiho... I will change...**

As she rounded the corner to the front gate, she could hear Ryuji practically singing to the rooftops of their recent triumph from the nearby alley.

**Does that moron even think!?**

"Do you have to be so loud?" she scolded when she met up with the three boys.

The incorrigible blonde then had the audacity to tell her with a shit-eating grin, "Eh, don't worry about it."

Before she could chew him a new one, he suddenly asked, "So... How'd it go? With Shiho, I mean..."

"She's regained consciousness...!" she replied, perhaps a little too quickly.

"For real!?" he vociferated as the three boys exchanged shocked glances.

Ann's expression grew melancholy, however, as she recalled her visit, "Shiho, she... she told me she was sorry... Looks like she found out I was flirting with Kamoshida for her sake... And here I was, wanting to apologize to her."

"Kamoshida's at fault for all of this," Morgana tried to reassure her.

Her frown only deepened, "Shiho's mom is thinking of transferring her to another school after she recovers. The whole sexual harassment and attempted suicide... people will label her after that.

"Sounded like Shiho had the same idea too."

"It's gonna get lonely..." Ryuji said matter-of-factly.

"But, I think it's for the best... I'm sure it'll be hard if she stays here."

And talking about it only made those thoughts in her head grow worse.

Ryuji seemed to sense her growing distress, "She's alive. You can see her anytime."

Ann nodded in assent, then brought her gaze to Akira, who almost looked like he was evaluating her with his stare, "...I need to change too."

"That aside, I was surprised you could hold yourself back against Kamoshida's shadow."

"It wasn't like that... I just wanted Kamoshida to apologize himself," she made clear.

Morgana's eyes seemed to glow with growing fondness, "You're so kind, Lady Ann."

Ryuji didn't fare much better, "No matter how much of a shitbag he was, finishing him off woulda left a bad aftertaste, huh?"

"Huh? That's not it," she smirked before her expression grew grim. "I think revenge is better served if I make him repent. Realizing what he's done, he'll grovel for forgiveness the rest of his life, you know? I just believe there are fates worse than death."

Ryuji shot Akira a "Holy shit" look, but Akira wasn't at all fazed by what Ann said. He knew what she was hiding underneath her bubbly, easy-going personality was a beast that no man was ready for.

The blonde pulled at his collar and gulped, "A-Anyways, that's all settled..."

"Morgana," Akira suddenly called out.

The cat's ears perked up, "What is it?"

"Kamoshida's castle isn't the only palace that's limited to the Metaverse, am I right?"

The feline nodded, "It's something anyone can have if their heart became warped from their desires. Why do you ask?"

**Anyone...**

"I want to check it out."

Ryuji shot him an incredulous look, "N-Not right now. We better lay low for a while. People are still gonna be talkin' about Kamoshida," His expression softened. "Then again, it's totally impossible for someone to find out what we did at his Palace."

Ann's heart sunk upon hearing those words, as it brought back uncomfortable memories.

"Yeah, about that... Weird rumours about you guys are already going around," she apprised reluctantly.

Ryuji nearly choked on the water he was taking a sip of, "The hell!?"

"People aren't going to easily believe that phantom thieves really exist. The calling card's being treated like it was a prank by someone who knew what Kamoshida was doing."

"Makes sense..." he shrugged in defeat. "We're the ones who did it, and I still don't completely believe it myself."

"Let's wait for things to settle down for the time being," Ann suggested, something that seemed to fly over Ryuji's head.

"Anyways, let's check how much this medal can be sold for. It'd be better if we pawned if off ASAP."

It only took him a few seconds before he got a hit, and judging by the scowl that formed, it wasn't anything spectacular.

"...Wait, thirty thousand yen!? That's all a gold medal's worth!?"

A mischievous thought crossed Ann's mind, "Remember that time in middle school? I lent you some money."

"There's no way I borrowed thirty thousand yen from you!" Ryuji fired back.

Her smile only widened, "Wouldn't it be around that much with compounded interest?"

"Interest my ass!"

"I'm not saying that I'm taking all of it. I mean, it's your fault for not paying me back all these years! It's just common sense!"

Ryuji seemed to ponder her words for a moment before he eventually sighed, and held up the white flags, "Damnit..."

Seeing his misfortune made Morgana fail miserably at stifling a laugh, "I agree on laying low and keeping an eye on the situation. However, you dragged me into this. It would be nonsense to not celebrate a successful mission."

"I guess we could blow this dirty money on something fun."

Ann could see the gears turning in her blonde friend's head, and she didn't like it.

Morgana hopped up onto a nearby vent and puffed out his chest, "Discussions among phantom thieves are to take place over luxurious food. How about it?"

"There's somewhere I want to go then," piped up Ann before Ryuji could get a word in.

"Where's that?"

"It's a place Shiho and I have been wanting to go for a while."

The colour in Ryuji's face drained when he noticed the way she was staring at him. He waved the white flags again as he sighed, "I owe money, so I can't complain..."

"How about it, Akira?" she asked, giving him a persuasive smile.

He nodded, "Fine by me."

She beamed, "I'll call and check the prices later then."

"When should we go?" asked Ryuji, his usual temperament suddenly restored. Something Ann wasn't sure to be impressed or baffled by, probably both. "Wanna do it soon, like tomorrow?"

"Why don't we go on the last day of the holidays? It'll help energize us when school life starts up again the day after," suggested Ann.

"Then... the 5th, on Children's Day."

With the date and place settled, all Ann had on the agenda now was...

She pointed at the medal, "So, who's gonna sell this?"

"Don't worry, I got it," Ryuji said quickly while swiping the medal into his blazer pocket. "It's best if we don't linger, yeah? Let's head home for today, we can talk more later."

The group agreed, and parted ways for the day.

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It was almost time for Akira to turn off at his usual stop, and the two hadn't said a word to each other the entire way back. The silence between them was unbearable, Ann couldn't take it anymore.

She took a deep breath, "Hey, Akira?"

He spared her a quick glance.

"You think that gold medal is real? When did it get inside the Palace?" she asked and immediately regretted. There were far better things to talk about than that damn Palace!

"It's a by-product if his cognition, so no," he answered nonchalantly.

She began twirling the tips of her pig tails once they went back to silence, "I guess it doesn't really matter, huh? What matters is that we changed his heart."

When he didn't reply right away, she laughed nervously, "Well, if we had taken the real thing, that'd be stealing!"

"Indeed."

Silence lingered between the two once again, filling the air all the way to his turnoff.

He gave her a small wave before he left. And all Ann could do was watch his silhouette slowly disappear around the corner once again.

She wanted to give chase, but her steps became hesitant.

**Akira...**

She pulled out her phone, fingers hovering over his contact info. Her mind was screaming at her to do something, anything, yet her body was unwilling to act. It frustrated her. Every time she's had the opportunity to act on her feelings, she's choked her chance, and it would seem that this time was no different. While Ann may not fully understand what it is she is feeling, one thing she is certain of is that she can't keep doing this forever.

One of these days, she's was gonna have to act.

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A/N: I'm honestly not sure when the next update will be, but I do plan to have it out significantly faster than this last one. Things have kinda settled down, and that drive to write is coming back to me.

One thing I forgot to add. I did play through all of Royal, and will be including that in this story. Luckily, we haven't really gotten into the new content yet. I thought the Maruki arc was absolutely fantastic, and he became my favourite confidant, so I'm excited to incorporate him(along with Kasumi) into our story.

Anyways, I've rambled on long enough. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter.


	14. An Unexpected Formation

A trip to the bathhouse was in order after the long ordeal today. While the bath water didn't have the medicinal herbs it usually had on Monday's, Akira still found respite as the heat soothed his aching muscles, and washed away his growing fatigue.

He exhaled as he allowed himself to sink up to his nose in the water.

His mind wandered through the events that happened today.

_Now that our mission is over, I suppose that's gonna be it for our group. We no longer have a common purpose for us to stay together, so it wouldn't surprise me if we went our separate ways after this "celebration."_

His brows furrowed at the thought.

_Not that I mind. I didn't come here to make friends. After all, they're just liabilities that'll stab you in the back when you least expect it._

Unfortunately for Akira, he realized very early on in his upbringing that there were many selfish people out there, people who were only looking out for themselves. Once those people found out who he was, it was as if their entire demeanour did a 180. Whether it be classmates, potential business partners, it was all the same. The change of tone in their voice, the sunny expression on their face, the submissive body posture. Every last one of those fools would've given everything in their possession to stand alongside him. They would try anything to coax him into believing their intentions were pure; and not at all for self-benefit. What they didn't realize was that Akira had caught onto their games long ago.

After all, when one burns their hand on the stove enough, they learn not to touch it anymore.

Akira had been burned enough by people he once considered friends, and in some cases family. In the end, they were all the same. And he refused to allow himself to get burned anymore. He refused to let anyone bullshit him anymore.

Which brought his thoughts to the trio whom had risked their lives alongside him.

He knew their relationship wouldn't last, and honestly, the sooner they got the celebration over with the better. They could go on with their lives with a clear conscience, knowing there was one less shitty adult in the world. Granted, all they did was slap a band-aid on a hole in a boat that had hundreds of more holes. If those three really thought that this was problem solved, they were more idiotic than he gave them credit for. But then again... why did he care if the boat sank?

Perhaps he had stayed in the bath for too long...

However, before he could leave, his thoughts seemed to plague him once again as a familiar blonde flashed through his mind, causing him to frown.

_I've never liked nice girls._

He recalled their interactions so far. How she always walked home with him, always made sure he ate lunch, always sneaking glances at him whenever she thought he wasn't playing attention... The list could go on.

_But I know better. They're just being nice. If they're nice to me, they're nice to others too. I sometimes find myself reaching out, but then remember all the times I've been burned before and pull back._

Ann's beaming smile flashed before him, and he quickly dunked his head in the water.

_If the truth is a cruel mistress, then a lie must be a nice girl._

_And so, niceness is a lie._

...Time to go home.

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The next couple of days flew by pretty quickly. Akira's time was mostly spent helping out at the cafe. Not hat he particularly minded, it wasn't like he had anything else planned anyways. However, now that the day had come where they planned to do their celebration, part of him wanted to make the excuse that Sojiro needed help at the cafe. But that would mean giving the others unnecessary information, meaning it would be less of a headache to just suck it up and go. Besides, with how much the other two have been going on and on about how they couldn't wait for today, he might as well throw them a bone and tag along. Ann had sent him the location and time to meet up the night before, while also suggesting that they should walk together there.

And so, here they were, walking to the station together on their way to the Wilton Hotel.

"You know... Shiho and I have been wanting to go to this place for a while," said Ann.

"Why haven't you?" Akira asked.

Her eyes went crestfallen as she spoke, "Well... I guess it was around the time the whole Kamoshida thing happened, and well... you know the rest."

_Figures._

"And you're okay going with us?" he prodded.

Sensing his underlying question, she nodded and smiled, "Yeah! I mean, of course I want to do something special with you guys," Her voice softened. "After all that we've been through, I'd like to believe that Shiho will be celebrating with us as well."

"I see."

"What about you, Akira?"

Her sudden question earned her a curious look.

"How do you feel about celebrating with us?"

Why did she care what he thought?

"Why do you ask?" he asked slowly.

She bounced on her heels while her brows furrowed.

"It's just I- never mind," she waved off. "I'm kinda bringing down the mood, huh? Haha."

They continued to walk in silence for a while longer before Akira sighed and relented, "I'm sure it'll be interesting."

Ann perked up at that. Maybe today wouldn't turn out to be a lost cause after all. Before Akira could protest she grabbed one of his hands, and dragged him through the Tokyo crowd.

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"Mmmm... So good..." sighed Ryuji as his A5 steak hammered away at his taste buds.

Morgana finished scarfing down a piece of tuna before complimenting Ann on her choice of venue.

"Of course it's good. It is a famous hotel, after all," she said matter-of-factly.

The hotel had fancy decorations, leather seats, quality food, but it was still a buffet. What one was paying for was the atmosphere of being rich over the buffet itself. It was the type of place that gave one a false sense of pride in their wealth. Inflating egos, nurturing ignorance, encouraging social disparity. It was embarrassing if you asked Akira, but there was no fixing stupid. The hotel would gladly provide a five star service if it meant lining their pockets full in yen. Who gave a fuck about all that other crap?

"Oh yeah... did ya... hear?" Ryuji asked the group between mouth bites.

"Swallow your food before speaking!" Ann chided.

He raised up his hands in defence, "Sorry, sorry, but check this out," he then pulled out his phone to show the group.

"The Phantom Aficionado Website?" Ann read aloud as she continued looking through the homepage. "'Well done, Phantom Thieves'... 'Now I can keep going too'... 'Thank you for giving us hope'..."

"Pretty cool, huh?" Ryuji prompted.

"I was just desperate to deal with my own problems, but seeing people all this feels... strange," Ann admitted.

Ryuji looked over at Akira, who was silently enjoying his cup of coffee, "Hey... What do we do now?" he asked, and it was one of those questions where Akira knew he was hoping for some grand answer, but what was he expecting?

Akira checked his phone, "We good on time?"

The blonde cast him a confused glance, "Huh?"

Ann was quick to fall for the bait though, as she stood up from her seat abruptly and gasped, "This place has a time limit!"

Ryuji seemed to quickly fall after that, "Oh crap, we only got an hour to eat!"

"Just fifty minutes left!" Ann informed after double checking her phone.

"I'm not gonna finish all the beef dishes at this pace!" stammered Ryuji before rushing back to the meat section.

Ann was no less frantic as she also stormed off, muttering something about "Screw the damn calories! I just won't eat supper tonight so I can squeeze in this cheesecake!"

Comical really, but now that those two were gone, he didn't have to listen to-

"Hey," came a familiar voice from beside him.

_Right... Morgana is still here._

He finished the last of his coffee before giving Morgana his full attention, "What is it?"

"I want to get more fish, can you help me get some? I can't do it alone in this... state."

Well, that was that.

"Yeah, sure. I was going to get another cup of coffee anyways."

Oddly enough, it would seem that news of what happened to Kamoshida seemed to be the talk of the adults. It wasn't surprising when the ones Akira managed to eavesdrop on didn't seem very interested in the case. After all, it did sound like a fairy tale from a children's book. And this was the Wilton Hotel. A place of pompous, arrogant assholes who thought they were above everyone else, by paying more for food. Akira had come here a few times on business for the company, though it was a little over a year since he was here last, but it would seem that aspect of the hotel has remained largely intact since.

When he and Morgana got back, Ryuji looked whiter than the fresh snow in Hokkaido, and Ann was doing her best to stifle a fit of giggles (failing miserably, but "trying").

In between giggles Ann said to Akira, "Hey, Akira, looks like our dear friend here had a little too much to eat."

"This was a vict- *burp* victory, for all of us," their bloated companion declared in a not-so-convincing cheer.

A mischievous smile adorned Ann's lips, "How about one last dish to cleanse the palate, Ryuji? I recommend the seasonal tart! The grapefruit has both alluring sweetness and a tangy sourness!"

Ryuji shook his head vehemently, visibly in pain holding his stomach, "Stop... I don't wanna hear about sour stuff..." He looked up at the two for a second before gagging. "This isn't good. I gotta go to the bathroom..."

"M-Me too..." muttered Morgana from inside Akira's bag. "Please... carry me gently..."

Akira suppressed a chuckle. While Morgana was all for the extra fish, it would seem his body couldn't keep up with his appetite.

And then there were two.

Akira noticed Ann shift not-so-subtly over to his seat after the two boys were out of sight. Now sitting inches apart, he glanced over in her direction, noting her slight blush as she stared down at her twiddling thumbs. Akira simply continued to enjoy his fresh cup of coffee as they sat there in silence, knowing she would say what she wanted to say eventually.

More minutes passed with silence. At this point, she had to realize that she was blowing her opportunity to speak to him, right? The impatient and curious side of him wanted to just tell her to spit it out, but that would be too easy. She was gonna have to work it out herself, and besides, seeing her inner turmoil was more amusing this way.

He was now leaning his elbow against the armrest with his one leg resting over the other, which he used as a makeshift placeholder for his coffee as he continued to wait for her.

Her eyes slowly drew their way over to him. She opened her mouth to say something, but after seeing his amused smirk when nothing came out, Ann huffed and resumed staring at her half eaten cake with a more furious blush.

**This silence is unbearable! This wasn't what I was planning when I finally got to be alone with him! The mood has gotten so awkward now, and now I don't even know how to start the conversation. How can he sit there with that smirk plastered on his face when I'm struggling here!?**

She pouted at the thought as she took a slice of cake, then another, and another...

"I-I'm gonna get more cake!" were the first words she blurted out since they were alone, which just embarrassed her further.

She began making her way back to the dessert table, only to bump into someone while in her haste.

Ann winced as she apologized to the man, "Sorry about that, are you-"

His escort shoved her back before she could even finish her apology.

**Is that how he treats a woman!?**

"Hey asshole! What the fu-"

"Hmph. It would seem the customer base has changed since I was here last. Have they started a daycare?" the distinguished man groused.

Ann glared at the man over his escort's shoulder, "What was that?"

But before he could shove her away again, a hand snatched his wrist. Ann's eyes grew wide when she seen the familiar spectacled boy come to her aid.

**Akira...**

His voice was as cool as ice when he spoke, "Apologize to the lady."

The escort's face contorted into one of anger, "Who the fuck are- ow!" he yelped when Akira twisted his wrist tighter, bringing him to his knees.

"Apologize to the lady," he repeated in a low tone, which sent shivers down Ann's spine, and even wasn't even addressing her.

"What did you say, kid?" seethed the distinguished man.

Her eyes darted back and forth between the two. The man was wearing a menacing scowl, daring Akira to make a move. Akira on the other hand, bore the cocksure grin she's only ever seen in the Metaverse, issuing the same challenge. Neither of them were willing to yield, however, one of the hotel staff asking if there was a problem seemed to draw the men out of their silent duel.

Akira released the escort's wrist, "Not at all."

The escort scurried back to his employer, grumbling about how could some punk have such a strong grip, and that he thought his wrist was broken.

"This is a respectable establishment gentleman, I trust that you can act accordingly?" asked the hotel employee.

"Of course," said the distinguished man. His voice laced with venom as he turned towards the two teens. "Forgive my subordinate's rudeness. I'll make sure to... reprimand him accordingly."

Akira's eyes followed the two men as they left, it was only once he knew they were gone did he let the tension in his shoulders release. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he decided to head back their table before he garnered even more attention. Coffee would be good about now.

_There's no mistaking it._

He took a sip of his now third cup of coffee.

_He's the same guy from before, the one who got me arrested._

Akira had immediately recognized that condescending voice when he spotted Ann in trouble. Instinct kicked in to come to her aid. She didn't know what he was capable of, and it was better to throw the future away of someone already partially in his own grave, than a promising youth if push came to shove.

His grip tightened on his mug.

It was adults like that, that churned those feelings to lend a helping hand with Kamoshida. It was those kind of adults that fucked him over, and put him in this predicament in the first place. To know that countless others were still out there avoiding judgment was... unsettling.

The fire was rekindled inside Akira, the will of his rebellion brandishing forth. He had the power to right these wrongs of society, the power to change society itself even. He could fix the injustice that's been left unchecked for far too long. Instill fear into the hearts of criminals, so that no one had to go through what he and his companions had gone through.

He looked over to Ann, who was staring at him with concern written on her face, "Takamaki..."

She jumped a little when he addressed her, he had just been sitting there brewing for minutes, completely ignoring her initial calls out to him, "A-Akira, is everything o-"

"I want us to continue being phantom thieves," he said, deadpan.

Her eyes widened with shock, "Huh!?"

"We've been given this power for a reason. We can save people from the injustice that's happening as we speak. Don't you feel the same way?"

He was evaluating her with those eyes of his, yet she nodded confidently as she spoke from the heart, "If we ignore people who are in trouble, I'd just go back to being the same as I was before..."

She placed a hand over top of his and smiled at him, "I will continue to follow you, Akira. Together, let's rid the world of shitty adults."

On cue, the other two returned from their trip to the bathroom.

"Man," Ryuji groaned. "You shoulda seen this old hag we ran in to. She- huh? What's with the serious looks you two?"

"We plan on continue being phantom thieves," said Ann. "Will you two join us?"

He gave her a quizzical expression, "What brought this on?"

"We have the power to cause change, inspire hope, Sakamoto. Don't you want to get back at the people who wronged you?" prompted Akira.

Ryuji let out a deep sigh and nodded, "Yeah... I've been thinkin' of a way to bring that up with you guys, but it looks like we're already all in agreement. I want us to continue being phantom thieves as well."

The trio turned to Morgana expectantly.

"You're under my tutelage after all," Morgana quipped. "There's nothing we can't accomplish as phantom thieves."

Akira looked over his contractors, sensing their newfound resolve, "Everyone knows what'll entail when we enter the Metaverse. Knowing that, do any of you plan on backing out?"

They all shook their heads.

"Heh... Even if you guys are still just fledglings, this means we're an actual organization now," remarked Morgana.

"We're gonna catch all these shitty adults by surprise, and make ourselves known to the world!" declared Ryuji.

"So... what's our first order of business, Leader?" asked Ann, who was looking at Akira.

He raised an eyebrow at her remark, "Leader?"

"Mhm! I think the decision is obvious."

"Fine by me," agreed Ryuji. "You know I can't handle all that responsibility stuff."

"I guess if Lady Ann says so, I'll allow it," Morgana resigned.

Akira adjusted his glasses, "First, we need a target. The bigger the better, as it'll get ourselves known better."

"I don't really like the idea of picking someone out of the blue," Ann interjected.

"Let's narrow it down to someone we can all agree on then," suggested Ryuji.

"I like that unanimous decision part! It's like we're making some kind of pact!"

Akira checked his phone, "Looks like our time is up. Let's disband for today, we can talk more tomorrow."

Ryuji hummed his assent, "Sounds good."

With the official formation of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts out of the way, the group of teens left the Wilton Hotel with a drive for societal reform they didn't realize would soon blow up across the world.

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When Akira got back to Leblanc he checked his messages, and seen that the group chat was active.

Ryuji: Oh yeah, lemme send the celebratory pic I took for today!

Ryuji: Celebrating the founding of the Phantom Thieves! And celebrating us crashing that buffet! 💪😤

Ryuji: (Insert buffet pic from the game)

Ann: You can cool it with the "celebrating" any time now... :/

Ann: Wait, you took that while I was eating!? Why didn't you tell me!?

Ryuji: Uh, I did. You just never stopped eating.

Ryuji: Anyways, this is our start as Phantom Thieves!

Ryuji: We're gonna take the world by storm! All the shitty adults in the world better watch out for us!

_Since when have Takamaki and Sakamoto been using emojis?_

They hadn't been using them before, but maybe they were on those terms now? Wasn't any of his business. Besides, there were more pressing concerns.

Akira closed the log and put his phone on the window sill, tomorrow was their first day back at school after their short break, and he didn't feel like being bagged for it.

Though... his mind couldn't seem to stop going back to the Metaverse. It was a fascinating place, but also a place that held great sorrow.

_Everyone has something they hold dear, something they never want to lose. That's why they pretend. That's why they hide the truth. And that's why they lie._

_Though there are no inherently bad people. Everyone believes that, myself included. I don't doubt the existence of virtue. And yet people bare their fangs when it seems they can profit. People will rationalize their own behaviour when they become tainted with evil; they're not supposed to be evil. In order to preserve their own twisted integrity, the world becomes twisted. Someone you praised as "cool" until yesterday is "stuck up" today; someone you respected as "smart and knowledgeable" is now scorned as someone who "looks down on bad people", and "energetic vigour" becomes "annoying and overly carried away"._

_They say if you change yourself, you'll change the world, but that's a complete lie. They're just forcing you to compromise, by feeding you a convenient little fib. If the Phantom Thieves ever hope to make a name for themselves, we cannot crumble under the weight of societal pressure..._

That was enough musing for one night. If he stayed up any later, tomorrow was gonna suck.

As Akira drifted to sleep, he could hear the twisted laughter of a familiar impish man welcome him...

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A/N: A couple references from Oregairu if any of you watched that anime. Hikigaya has some excellent quotes that very much apply to the story of the phantom thieves and our protagonist which I used for reference.

I also ended up using emojis, and eventually slang, for some of them during text, because I felt like that is more in line with their character. You'll see how this changes with the other characters later on.

Also worth mentioning I slapped the picture of the group at the buffet in here as well. Since it's from the game I don't think there will be any red tape? But we'll cross that bridge if we need to.

Edit: There was red tape, so I've had to make an edit. Thank you for understanding.

Lot of interesting things going on with Joker in this chapter as we get a deeper dive into his psyche, and what he thinks of his teammates at this point of the story; while also providing some background as to why he feels the way he does.

Anyways guys as always, see you in the next chapter.


	15. Troubles of The Heart

Unfortunately for Akira, he ended up bagged. Why Igor and the twins couldn't talk to him at any other time, besides the middle of the night? He'd never understand.

Guess it was time to nap through homeroom.

When he entered the classroom, Ann immediately straightened in her seat, and greeted him with a small wave and smile.

"Morning," she said as Akira slid into his seat.

"Mor-ning," he replied between yawns, setting his bag on his desk to prep for his nap.

"Long night?" asked Ann as she watched Akira settle into his usual napping routine.

"Something like that."

"You should take better care of yourself," she chastised. "It isn't healthy doing this almost every day."

"What? Worried about me?" he retorted.

It was meant to be in jest, however, the lingering silence forced his eyes up.

Ann had a slight blush on her cheeks, and was twirling one of her twin tails, her eyes failing to meet his.

Her voice was meek when she spoke, "Actually... yes... I am."

How the hell was he supposed to respond to such an honest response?

Luckily, it would seem that he wouldn't need to come up with one as Ms. Kawakami started homeroom.

Crisis averted.

Once lunch period came around, the three phantom thieves decided to meet up to talk about their next plan of action.

"We went and formed the Phantom Thieves group, but we can't even find a target..." sighed Ryuji.

Ann patted him on the back feigning sympathy, "There, there..."

His shoulders drooped some more, thinking she was being serious, "I guess sometimes things just don't go the way you want 'em to..."

"You two keep looking for things online, and keep an eye on that website," Akira's voice then trailed off, muttering something about Morgana that Ann couldn't make out.

"Aye Aye, Cap'n!" saluted Ryuji. "If we can take out one or two more famous people, people will have to believe we exist!"

Ann rolled her eyes at that, because of course Ryuji would be in it for the fame.

The bell rang, signifying the end of lunch period.

Ryuji gave the pair a wave before he headed to his class, "Let's continue this later."

"What're you thinking?" asked Ann once the two started making their way back to class.

Akira glimpsed at her, "Hm?"

"I can tell when something is on your mind," she boasted before she winked at him. "You're not as good at hiding your emotions as you think."

A partial truth. Ann could never tell what Akira was thinking most of the time. However, the more time she's gotten to spend with him, the more she's started to catch on to the subtle cues that gave away what he was feeling. Which was something.

He smirked at her, something that had an uncanny ability to cause her heart to flutter.

"Our next course of action. We want to ride this momentum, so it's best if we don't stay idle for too long."

"But don't we not want to draw unnecessary attention to ourselves?" Ann countered. "With those rumours about you two swirling around, and the police being here..." her voice trailed off, earning her an expectant glance from her spectacled companion.

Finishing her thought was proving to be more difficult than expected, twice today he's gotten her flustered like this, "Well... you know... I don't want us getting caught, or something bad happening to you guys..."

"Ann..."

She jumped a little at hearing Akira call her by her first name, "Huh?"

He tilted her chin towards him, forcing her to meet his steely eyes, "We're gonna be fine, don't stress yourself out worrying about us."

"B-But-"

Before she could protest further, he brought a finger to her lips.

"Shhh... Ann-"

Anything said after that was completely drowned out for Ann. From her heartbeat thundering in her ears, to the way those eyes of his pierced through her, down to how his voice was reverberating down her spine... All she could think about was how she could feel his breath ghosting over her lips due to their proximity, and how badly she wanted to close that gap and taste those lips for herself.

Then it was over.

And all Ann could do, was stand there with a dumbfounded expression as she watched him head up the stairs.

**What just happened? **

One moment they were talking about... something? Strange, what were they talking abo-.

She slapped her cheeks and shook her head.

**Get a hold of yourself!**

Ann had fell into his trap, like a mouse unable to resist cheese. The price for her enjoying such a delicious meal, would result in her being caught in a snare.

She couldn't go to class like this, not when she was this... bothered. While going to the bathroom would result in her being late, and getting chewed out by the teacher, it was better than losing her composure again the second she laid eyes on Akira. Then again, it might not matter. These feelings Ann's been holding in were threatening to burst forth, and she couldn't have that happen, not yet at least. Besides, she still was trying to sort them out for herself, and she knew Akira was the kind of guy that would see right through her if she didn't have her shit sorted.

So, a trip to the bathroom was in order.

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To no one's surprise, Ann got chewed out by Mr. Uchimaru for being nearly 20 minutes late, and got stuck with cleaning duty after school for her "lack of a proper excuse". However, if you asked Ann, it was a fair trade off considering what the ladder option would've been. Hours later, and what happened with Akira was still all she could think about. It didn't matter how many times she played it back in her head,or tried to rationalize it. Her cheeks would always redden and she'd need to shake some sense into herself.

She sighed heavily as she started to wipe down the chalkboard.

**It's useless... Why did he have to go and do all of... that? Damnit Akira, why do you have to be good looking AND charming?**

Speaking of the handsome devil... hadn't he been talking to Mishima for a while now?

"...See you!" Mishima waved to Akira before leaving the classroom.

Ryuji then made his way over to Akira and winced, "I heard all that. Geez... was a little awkward tryin' to figure out when to walk over here."

He then cast a confused glance over at Ann once he noticed her standing by the board, "What're you doing over there?"

"She's on cleaning duty," Akira informed.

He looked even more lost at that, "Cleaning duty? Why?"

"I-It doesn't matter!" stammered Ann, rushing and nearly tripping over a desk to join the boys. "Anyways, what was up with Mishima?"

"Oh, he's the guy behind the website," said Ryuji.

"So that forum is Mishima's..."

"Ya think he's figured out our identities?" Ryuji asked in a low tone.

"Even so, I think it'll be fine," Ann shrugged. "He seemed to be playing it cool."

The vulgar blonde sighed, his expression growing grim, "I guess we should have a little chat about this later."

"Still..." cut in Akira. "A forum where people can post their problems may prove useful."

That earned him a pair of questionable looks, his point clearly going over their heads.

Ryuji kicked at the ground, "Anyways, we gotta get lookin' for a new target."

"And we need to stay sharp until we managed to fine one," added Ann. "Once we do, we'll have to head into another Palace, so we should prep our equipment and-"

"Wait," Ryuji interrupted, his face growing paler by the second. "Oh, CRAP!"

Ann glared at him, annoyed at the random interruption, "What's with you!?"

"Don't we have an exam comin' up!?"

She seriously wanted to smack him then and there. That's what he was freaking out about? The guy never took exams seriously.

"...Judging by that reaction, I'd assume you're gonna struggle with this time too?" she said, not hiding her contempt.

"It's not like you're any better!" he argued. "All you're good at is... English!"

"I'd rather that than be bad at every subject!" Ann deflected. "Even your Japanese is questionable at best!"

"H-Hey, that's too far!" He frowned before he pleaded to Akira. "Help me out, man, say something."

Akira placed a hand on Ryuji's shoulder, his expression as neutral as ever, "Best of luck, Sakamoto."

"Not you too!" he cried out.

"Are you sure you should be saying that?" Ann eyed Akira suspiciously with her arms crossed. "You're asleep more than you're awake in class! There's no way you're not gonna struggle."

He slowly walked up to her, the glint of his glasses hiding his eyes, "Oh? Is that a challenge?"

Each step he took made her lose more confidence in her statement, "Y-Yeah, I bet you won't make... top five!" she laughed nervously. "Yeah, no way you'll do it!"

He was now mere inches from her again, and the events from lunch period started rushing back to her like a tsunami.

"And what is it that you're betting, Takamaki?" His voice was low, and deep.

She jumped a little when she backed into one of the desks, not realizing that she had been slowly backing away, "O-Oh... Umm, well..."

"Well?"

To her credit, she tried as hard as she could to not lose her composure, but twice of... this in one day? Brain = fried.

"Oh, I know!" piped up Ryuji, completely oblivious to the situation. "If you get top five, she's gotta buy all of us ramen! Man, I know that would help me get over failing exams!"

"You've already resigned yourself, huh?"

The blonde shrugged, "Eh, you're the one I'm ridin' on. Don't matter how well I do."

"What if I win?" interjected Ann, somewhat rebooted from her short-circuitry.

Akira pinched his bangs as he thought, "Hmm... How about you can ask me anything you want?"

Both blondes jaws dropped.

Being able to ask Akira anything? Now that WAS a spicy offer.

Ryuji pulled Akira to the side and whispered loudly into his ear, "Dude! You realize that's like the worst thing you could've bet, right? Girls jump at that sorta thing, man!"

"Are you not confident in me, Sakamoto?"

The blonde flinched and immediately raised both his hands in the air in defence, "N-No, it's not that. I just-"

"Then it'll be fine," Akira replied flatly while keeping his gaze fixed on Ann.

"Don't get too cocky, Akira," she warned playfully. "Or else you might have to answer an embarrassing question."

He smirked at her, "No I won't."

The fact that he could say it with so much confidence really made her believe that he could pull it off. Sleeping in class or not, she's already seen an inkling of what he was capable of. What were a few exams?

Honestly? Just another thing to add to the list for her. A list that was rapidly becoming too big.

**Fuck.**

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The next morning was supposed to be a nice start to the day for Ann. After all, not only was she walking to school with Akira, he even treated her to a coffee. Who wouldn't be fired up for the day ahead?

Well, that all went down the drain after she realized that someone had been following them for the past three blocks. Maintaining that "following distance" they tell you to keep in movies and games to avoid being noticed. With the whole incident with Kamoshida still very fresh in her mind, she quickly became uncomfortable.

"Takamaki."

"Y-Yes!" hearing Akira call out to her so suddenly, nearly caused her to choke on her coffee.

"Eyes forward, and..." he stuck out his elbow. "Stay close."

**Akira...**

She nodded sheepishly as she tentatively locked arms with Akira. Her eyes glued to the pavement as he lead them through the busy Shibuya crowd.

Another thing to add to the list.

As for Akira, he knew that something had been off since the moment they left Starbucks. For all the people to try and tail them, it was one of the most conspicuous people you could ask for. The guy screamed extra, but there was also a sort of... picturesque to it?

"Hey..." he heard Ann call to him, her voice barely audible. She had brought her free hand to tug on his sleeve to help get his attention.

"Can you... make some time for me after school today? There's been something on my mind, and I feel like I can finally talk to you about it."

It's been eating away at her slowly ever since it happened, and there was only one other person's opinion (besides Shiho) she'd value above her own.

Her cheeks were flushed, she was wearing a slight pout, and those puppy eyes she was giving him...

He was thankful for having glasses.

This was one of those situations where Akira knew there was no getting out of. A thought that both amused and irritated him.

"Sure," he eventually ended up saying.

She smiled up at him, "Thank you. It means a lot."

"Uh-huh," he tugged her closer as he led them down to a different line. "We'll lose him this way."

"But, won't we be late for school?"

He smirked at her, "Trust me."

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After classes ended, the two headed to a diner in Shibuya.

"You think you drink too much coffee?" she lightly reprimanded after they ordered their drinks.

"Never."

The serious response earned him a chuckle, though her smile quickly faded into a solemn expression.

"Um... There's something I want to talk to you about, Akira. ...It's Shiho," she took a few deep breaths to collect herself before speaking again. "Well... you know I went to visit her in the hospital. When she... she said she was sorry. Sorry about not telling me about Kamoshida... about all of the things he was doing to her..."

She shook her head.

"But it was my fault too. I didn't realize how much trouble she was in... I wasn't there for her... So, I apologized as well."

"Shiho's strong."

Ann smiled at how he said it like it was the most obvious thing, "Isn't she? Shiho really is a great girl. I'm glad I finally got to tell her everything I couldn't bring myself to say before. And, um..." she grew a little squeamish recalling the memory. "Remember how Kamoshida threatened to take Shiho off the team if I didn't sleep with him?"

He nodded tersely.

"I had only agreed to it so that I wouldn't ruin Shiho's dreams..." she tried to defend. Though, she didn't really know why she was trying to defend her choice in the first place. Ann knew Akira wouldn't think less of her for the decision she made, but thinking back on it, she realized how stupid a decision it was. Something he had to have seen.

She sighed, "But now that I think about it, he never would have put her on the bench on cost his team games...' her frown deepened at the thought. "I seriously should have dared him to try and take her starting spot. ...But in the end, maybe I just didn't believe in her ability."

"Most likely," he said while mixing in his cream and sugar.

Hearing it come from Akira only confirmed her suspicions, "I knew it... I'm so stupid... All of this happened because of how weak I am. That's why I believed Kamoshida's authority outweighed Shiho's own ability to earn her starting spot."

Akira was fascinated by this side of Ann.

_She had been dark before, but to be so critical- to the point of self-deprecation- is new. I guess this only shows how much the Kamoshida event has been weighing on her mind. Not to mention, Shiho is her only friend, and she likely feels like she created a rift between them. It doesn't sound like the case, but it's easy how we can bend reality when we're in a state of distress. Especially when it's about someone we care about._

"Akira..." she said after a long silence accumulated. "Do you remember the last time I talked to you like this? When I got that phone call from Kamoshida... and cried.

"I felt so alone... scared, even... But because you were there for me, I decided not to go. I... don't even know what came over me that day, why I..." her voice trailed off as she recalled her scurrying about Shibuya.

"Came looking for me?" he finished her sentence.

She blushed and twirled one of her twin tails, "Mhm." Ann then reached over the table to place her hands over his, giving him a heartfelt smile. "Whatever your reason for coming back to help me. Thank you. I've been trying to figure out a way to say it this whole time, but... I guess you could say that I've been afraid."

"Afraid?"

She nodded before her eyes went downcast, "Afraid of what you'd think. Back then, people used to call me all sorts of names... 'Prissy bitch,' 'Kamoshida's girl'... I got tired of it pretty quickly. But to tell you the truth, someday I want to be able to take labels like that in stride," she quickly backtracked after she realized what she may have implied. "N-Not that I'm saying you'd call me names o-or anything. It's just that I wouldn't have been surprised if you ended up not wanting to have anything to do with me."

Ann knew he could feel her hands trembling, and that he heard the slight crack in her voice, and she was sure he thought she sounded like a total idiot, but she needed to say it. To tell him how she really felt, or at least part of it.

What she didn't expect, was for Akira to give her hands a slight squeeze and then say, "Yet, here I am. Right here, with you."

Now he was definitely messing with her. He had to be! How could he do something like that with a straight face!?

She took a major gulp of her soda to try and cool off; which semi worked. However, the pounding in her chest was another issue.

**At this rate he's gonna give me heart problems! Geez!**

Ann needed to turn this around, and quick!

"Hey, um... Personas are the power of the heart, right?" she asked tentatively.

Akira nodded after taking a sip of his coffee.

"That means if my heart gets stronger, my Persona will too."

He hummed his assent.

"So... I want to strengthen my heart. And I want to use that strength to help the people around me. I hope we can save people from trouble, just like we did when we changed Kamoshida's heart.

"Though honestly..." she frowned. "I don't even know what 'strong' is."

Ann then met Akira's evaluating gaze with her own look of determination," But I'm going to find the answer, I promise."

Akira hummed his agreement once more, "Good, I'll help."

Ann choked on her soda, "H-Huh? *cough* Really...!?"

"It's mutually beneficial, so yes," he stated matter-of-factly, seemingly unperturbed by her fit of coughs.

"I feel like I'm a little stronger already!" she laughed nervously, realizing her sudden cheeriness might be off-putting. "I-I guess that doesn't really count though, huh?"

"...I'll be relying on you, Akira," Ann cooed. "Let's make sure our hearts are super strong."

"We will."

Hearing the words coming from him gave her even more confidence that she could do this, that they could do this. Maybe then, she could finally be truly honest with herself.

"A strong heart... Hmmmm..."

After a moment of mulling over the words it hit her, "How about this: I won't get any refills on fountain drinks!" she suggested with a deadpan expression. "I mean, they're free, so not getting any would you mean you have a strong heart!"

Even she was pretty impressed that one. It made perfect sense, so why wasn't Akira saying anything?

"...Is that not right?" she asked after the silence started to become awkward.

When he still didn't say anything, her cheeks started to flare crimson.

"Just kidding!" she tried to play off. "I-I guess I'll have to think on it some more! Haha, ha..."

**Someone kill me now, this is so embarrassing.**

Akira finished the last of his coffee, using the action to hide his slight smirk. She was way off the mark with her proposition, but she was fun to tease. So, he decided to drag out her embarrassment.

_Fun?_

Akira never had fun interacting with people, but could what he and Takamaki have going now be considered fun?

An interesting question, but one that brought a scowl to his face. He didn't like thinking about it, and it wasn't the objective of today's meetup. It was time to wrap up.

"It's getting late," Akira said after he checked his phone. "I should get going."

"O-Oh, okay," she replied, her voice faltering at the sudden declaration.

**He's not mad is he?**

He wasn't, for the record. But, Ann didn't need to know that. This was the perfect opportunity to use her earlier embarrassment as a gateway to make his exit unscathed. She was as easy to read as a children's book with the way she wore her emotions on her sleeve, so he knew that she wouldn't question it.

He gave her a slight bow, "I got the bill, see ya."

It was time to head home. The faster he got there, the less time that would be spent thinking about things he didn't have to.

"Thank you. See you at school!" she waved goodbye as she gathered her own things.

She needed to go to the store before going home, a job best done before it got too busy.

On her way there, she couldn't help but reflect on her talk with Akira.

**I'm happy that I finally go to talk to him alone. I feel like this was the start of us seeing eye to eye, something that I...**

It dawned on Ann in that moment that she never held these kind of feelings for anyone other than Shiho. Yet, part of her knew that she wanted to give a piece of herself to Akira, for she knew that it would cherished; like with Shiho but not entirely the same. Which was scary, real scary, considering everything that she'd been through recently, however, that was precisely why Ann felt the way she did. Akira was an enigma that she still wasn't even close to solving, but that didn't mean she hadn't been chipping away at it. There was something about him that seemed to draw her in, made her want to find out what lied beneath all of those masks he kept hiding behind. One day, she'd uncover every last one.

What would she find though after it was all said and done? Would it be worth all the effort she'd have to put in? Would she later come to regret her choice? What would be next?

"Time will tell" is the logical answer, but something stirred inside Ann at the thought of those words. It wasn't uncomfortable per se, but it just didn't seem right. And why was that? Yet another thing that likely had to do with the feelings developing inside her. Which begged another question.

Why were these things so complicated?

It was one of those things where there were many ways to reach the same answer, yet the path to it was a long and arduous road. Which is why many people- no matter how many attempts- still haven't figured it out.

It was then Ann decided to give Akira a call. Things ended far too abruptly, and she wanted to give him a proper goodbye. And... well, it wasn't important.

"Oh hey, it's me!" she exclaimed once he picked up. "Thanks for listening to what I had to say earlier."

"No problem."

"Now I feel like I have a better idea of who I want to be. Also, I'm going to think of how I can strengthen my heart. If I think of anything, I'll let you know!

"I hope you'll join me again next time!" she added, hoping it didn't sound weird.

"Sure thing, Takamaki."

Well, she could score herself some points for the fact that he didn't reject her.

"Yeah, I'm counting on you! You're such a nice guy!" she complimented, however, the way she said it not only made her cringe, but also lose all those hard earned points.

"Oh! How about you help me come up with ways to train my heart?" she added.

**Shut up, Ann! You're making a fool of yourself!**

Yet she just couldn't seem to stop, "Just lemme know when a really good idea hits you, okay? Byeee!"

**Oh my god!**

Ann couldn't have hit end call any faster. She buried her face into her hands and screamed, shaking her head; hoping it would knock some sense into her. She was sure everyone passing her on the street was staring at her, but the mild embarrassment received from them was nothing in comparison to that disaster. At this point, it was almost impressive the amount of times she could make a fool of herself in front of one person.

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Once Akira seen the caller ID, he couldn't stop the sigh that threatened to escape.

_She's persistent, I'll give her that._

The call was... awkward to say the least, but he managed to decipher what she was trying to convey at least amidst her rambling.

Well, whatever. It was such a random call, that he didn't really know what to make of it. Perhaps it was best not to think about it too much, he's been doing enough of that as it was lately.

When he opened to the door to Leblanc, he was met with a key being tossed at him.

"That's the key to this place," said Sojiro. "You get to lock up from now on. I can't keep waiting for you to come home."

"Thanks."

"Don't start any fires, okay?"

"I'll do my best."

Akira then went upstairs to retrieve the keys to his Challenger. Now that he was given more freedom, he'd be a fool to not take advantage of it. And tonight was a perfect opportunity to get his mind off of things.

Once the roar of the engine echoed throughout the parking complex, Akira pursed his mouth into a self-satisfied smirk.

_Time to unleash the Demon._

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A/N: Ann is struggling guys, she needs our support.


	16. Following The Heart

A/N: Apologies for the later upload. Things have picked up at work, so time hasn't been on my side a whole lot. On top of that, I've been feeling sick lately. Which has kinda sapped my energy. Still, we're doing what we can out there despite that. Thanks for understanding, and enjoy the chapter.

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The next day, the phantom thieves decided to hold a meeting about their next course of action on the school rooftop after classes concluded for the day.

"None of these posts are any good," groaned Ryuji. "Everyone's just bitchin' about their parents or boyfriends. There ain't even a hint of a hint about a new Palace..."

"We can't get everything online..." countered Ann. "Finding a post with a name and location is asking a lot..."

That earned her a sigh from her blonde counterpart, "Guess we gotta find one ourselves then!"

Morgana rolled his eyes at the remark, "Are you seriously suggesting we look for a target that even the police have overlooked?"

"...Yeah, you're right. We should prolly just hold off 'til exams are done with, huh? We can wait and see for a little longer, then worry about comin' up empty-handed if it happens..."

The door suddenly opened, revealing a familiar face to the two blondes, but foreign to the spectacled boy.

"This place is off-limits, you know," the brunette said sternly.

She carried this aura of confidence around her. From her posture, to the tone of her voice, to the way she looked down at the three of them with her piercing red eyes.

Ann didn't like it.

**I hate the way she looks at us as an inconvenience, that condescending glare really pisses me off.**

Ryuji scoffed, "...We'll get outta here once we're done chattin'. Anyways, what's Miss Council President want with us?"

The president cleared her throat, "The troublemaker, the centre of gossip, and the infamous transfer student. Hmm, interesting combination."

"Great way to start a conversation..." Ann muttered under breath, growing more agitated by the second.

Which was something that the brunette seemed to either ignore or be completely oblivious to as she turned her attention to Akira, "By the way... It seems as though you got to know Mr. Kamoshida pretty well."

"Not really," Akira replied nonchalantly. " I haven't even been here a month."

"Oh?" she brought a hand to her chin. "But rumours would suggest otherwise."

Akira's expression was as cold as ice, one that sent shivers down Ann's spine; and she wasn't even the recipient!

"Are you someone that becomes easily influenced by rumours? That doesn't sound very fitting of a council president if you ask me."

Ann swore she could see a vein pop. Akira had clearly struck a nerve.

"And who are you to judge what is and what isn't fitting of a council president?" she fired back.

"I could ask you the same in regards to interrogating students off of mere assumptions and speculation."

"What's all this about?" cut in Ryuji. "My friend here's an upstanding guy."

"I don't mean to offend," the president backtracked. "Many students have been shaken up by what happened with Mr. Kamoshida. The rumours about the odd, calling card-esque posting aren't going away either."

Ann had just about enough and decided to go on the offensive herself, "I didn't expect someone like you would care about that tactless stuff, Nijima-senpai."

"I dunno that it was tactless..." Ryuji frowned. "Anyways, we done here? We can't leave if you keep talkin' to us."

Nijima let out a frustrated sigh, "At least try to understand my position. Being forced to deal with this horseplay..."

"Horseplay!?" If looks could kill, Nijima would've been dead ten times over the glare Ann was giving her.

Before she could retort, however, Akira beat her to the punch.

"I'm curious about what the student body would think if they heard that from their council president."

Her eyes narrowed, "What are you getting at?"

He merely smirked back at her, not at all fazed by her attempt of intimidation through interrogation, "I'd be careful about what you say, you never know who might be listening."

"Is that a threat?"

"Is it?"

The air between them was palpable. Ann felt that if she even breathed funny that she'd get crushed under the weight of their gazes if they fell upon her.

"Tch. I don't have time for this," Nijima muttered under breath before facing the group with renewed composure. "That reminds me... It's been decided that this place will be closed off due to the incident. I heard some people have been coming up here without permission, after all.

"...I'm sorry to have interrupted you."

"What was that about?" asked an annoyed Ann after Nijima left.

"...She's onto us," Akira answered solemnly.

Morgana hummed his agreement, "That girl seems rather sharp. We should be cautious of her."

"She really pisses me off!" Ryuji spat.

"Regardless, we'll have to remain vigilant," cautioned Akira.

"Talk about a pain in the ass... It's just so lame... I was all fired up about helpin' people, not about studyin'..."

"True, but studying won't be so bad if we just think of it as helping us prepare to be phantom thieves..." Though Ann tried to sound convincing, the way she wrinkled her nose suggested otherwise.

"Well, I do have somewhere interesting to show you beforehand," chimed Morgana. "You guys did originally promise to help me with my mission, after all."

Ryuji's brow creased, "Huh? Mission?"

"Follow me."

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After a quick train ride, the group had arrived at Shibuya station square. If Ann was being honest though, she just couldn't get what Nijima said out of her head.

**How could she write off something as serious as someone attempting to kill themselves as horseplay? Does she not care about anyone but herself? She doesn't know anything abo-**

"Ann...? Ann!? Hello, earth to Ann!" snapped Ryuji.

Ann shook her head back to reality, "Huh? What?"

Ryuji frowned, "We can't start this meetin' if you're off day dreamin'... Anyways, why are we here, Mona?"

"Just do as I told you," the cat huffed impatiently.

The blonde rolled his eyes, "All right, I've got the Phantom Aficionado Website up. Now what?"

"Look for a post with a full name in it."

"I already said there's no info on any big shots. Don't you remember?"

"We need for broaden our horizons, Sakamoto," said Akira.

"I guess... but man, people actually go put someone's real name on here. That's some scary shit..."

Ann had already begun scrolling through the posts, "'He won't listen to what I say'... No wait, there's no name on this one."

"'Someone's bad-mouthin' me in online chat rooms'... This one's got a name."

Akira shook his head, "We need something more serious."

"'I don't know what to do about my ex who's stalking me. His name is Natsuhiko Nakanohara.' It says he's a teller at City Hall," Ann relayed to the group.

Ryuji's voice couldn't hide his disbelief, "A government worker's stalkin' someone?"

Morgana licked at his paws while he spoke, "That should be a suitable target. Now get the Meta-Nav ready."

Ryuji perked up at that, "We're just gonna jump straight into a Palace? Fine by me!"

"Not exactly," Akira corrected. "You'll see when we get there."

"Hey!" Ann interposed between the three boys. "What happened to all that talk of 'unanimous decision'?"

Akira adjusted his glasses, "Are you opposed, Takamaki?"

There was that calculating stare again, the one that never gave way to what he was thinking, but the one that Ann knew he was evaluating her.

**Every time he looks at me like that I... It's like he sees right through me.**

She frowned, and twirled one off her twin tails as she felt herself break down from his stare, "N-No-"

"That's what I'm talkin' about!" Ryuji interrupted, making Ann's frown deepen. "We need a name and a place, right? So the name is..."

"Actually, you just need to enter exactly what I say this time," Morgana apprised. "The keyword is... 'Mementos.'"

Ryuji's expression soured, "Huh? What are you tryin' to pull?"

"Just trust me. It should work... I think."

The vulgar blonde looked over to Akira, who gave him a "go ahead" nod.

"Alright..." he sighed as he began punching in the keywords to the Nav. "Uhhh... 'M-e-m-e-n-t-o-s,' was it?"

"Candidate found," the Nav jingled.

"As expected," grinned Akira.

That earned him a confused glance from Ryuji, "Huh? What're you-"

"Everyone disappeared!" cut in Ann. "It... kind of feels like I'm... walking on air?"

"Is that- Hey!" he shouted at Akira when he seen him to descend into the subway. "Where you goin'!?"

Joker's will of rebellion manifested when he looked up at the two bewildered blondes, "You'll see."

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Once they descended into the subway, the thieves noticed how the interior began to gradually shift into something that could only be considered as grotesque.

Skull had to suppress the urge to gag when he saw veins popping out of the walls, "The hell is this place?"

Panther did gag when she placed her hand on one of the veins, and felt her hand sink into the fleshy texture, "Mona, what is this place! You better start explaining!"

"Mementos is... everyone's Palace," Mona said gravely.

"Whaddya mean, 'everyone's'?" asked Skull, visibly stumped.

"A Palace as grand as the previous castle only forms when a person's wishes are extremely distorted," Mona explained. "So, instead of many individual Palaces, the general public has one gigantic shared Palace. That's where we are now... Mementos."

Skull was still trying to wrap his head around this newfound information, but things just weren't clicking for him, "When you say shared, you mean they're all put together? Even though they're just strangers?"

"Think of it as the collective unconscious... No, never mind. You wouldn't understand that."

"So what you're saying is... Using this place, we can even change the hearts of people who don't have a Palace?" guessed Panther, who was also doing her best to follow what was being said.

Joker nodded, "Basically."

"Though the steps are a bit different," interjected Mona.

"But this place looks pretty huge," Skull surmised. "Are we able to get around just by walkin'?"

Mona stepped off into the open area behind the group, "It seems my time has finally come..."

"Whoa, Mona, why do you have that serious look on your face?"

It all happened in a flash.

"Morgannnaa... transsforrrrm!" he shouted before a puff of white smoke enveloped the area.

Skull's mouth was like a blubbering fish when the smoke cleared, "M-Mona!? What the hell, man!?"

"Come now, Panther. Ladies first," Mona purred.

She looked over to Joker, hoping for an explanation.

"It's how cognition materializes in the Metaverse," he explained. "Plus, Mona is an unique case."

"You're tellin' me!" Skull was still in disbelief. "Him turnin' into a car doesn't even make sense!"

"Oh shut up, Skull!" groaned Panther. "Well, let's do this."

"I'll drive," Joker declared as he stepped into the driver's seat.

"Whoa, dude, you can drive?" asked Skull as he took a spot in the passengers seat. "I don't even have my learners yet."

Even Panther had to admit it was rather odd, "Yeah, you're not even 18 yet, where did you learn how to drive?" she asked while getting in the back seat behind Joker.

It wasn't like he could tell them that his family pulled strings so he could get his early.

"Just through simulations in games," he lied.

"That's what you meant?" huffed Skull. "C'mon, man!"

"I don't even have that experience to lean on," confessed Panther as she leaned over the cushion next to Joker, and ruffled his hair. "I trust you, so I'll let you handle it."

Joker started the ignition.

"That feels sooo goooooood..." purred Mona.

Skull shifted uncomfortably in his seat at that, "Uh, is that purrin' I hear? What a creepy-ass car!"

Panther rolled her eyes, "More importantly, Nakanohara's somewhere in here, right?"

"Most likely in a segment of his own creation," answered Mona. "Don't worry, it won't be the size of the Palace."

"So, all we gotta do now is find it! Come on, Joker, pedal to the metal!"

He could see the mischievous glint in her eye, but decided to play along anyways.

He revved the engine once, twice...

"Panther! Please, don't encourage hiiiiimmm!"

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It didn't take the thieves long to find the target, for it was luckily on the same floor as them. Dodging Shadows was easy enough due to the size of the tracks, (and Joker's driving skills) and with Mona was able to sense if there was a strong distortion on each floor. Making the ordeal all-around more efficient. Even still, it felt like they were searching for hours on one floor. Which begged the question.

How big was Mementos?

The more Joker thought about it, the more he believed that it was on a scale that was difficult to comprehend.

"Joker... Joker! Hey Joker!" Panther waved in front of his face, snapping him from his reverie. "You okay? We're all ready to go in."

He looked up at the portal leading to the other side.

_If left unchecked, this'll turn into another Palace. At least, that's what the twins told me. It's in our best interest to right these wrongs before things take a serious turn for the worst._

He nodded, "Yeah, let's go."

She grabbed his hand and led him through the portal, where they were greeted by a lone figure who was standing on the edge of the isolated segment's creation.

**Nakanohara...**

"I don't know how much evil he's done, but we have to stop him if he's bothering other people," Panther asserted.

"Who are you!?" bellowed Nakanohara.

"Are you that stalker?" accused Panther. "Haven't you ever stopped to consider how your ex feels?"

"She's my property!" Nakanohara retorted. "I can do whatever I want with her!"

Hearing those words really rubbed salt in the wound for Panther. It wasn't dissimilar to how Kamoshida felt about her, and she could only imagine how the other girl felt.

"It's not like she didn't treat me like a plaything!" the Shadow continued. "What's wrong with me doing the same!?"

"Ask yourself that," said Joker. "What is wrong with you doing the same?"

Nakanohara grumbled for moment, then roared, "There are millions of people far worse than me!"

"And that justifies your actions?"

Joker had him cornered in his own twisted logic, but even a mouse sometimes bites back against the cat.

"What about Madarame...? He stole everything from me, but you're letting him off the hook!?" Nakanohara accused.

_Madarame? That famous painter?_

That was a name he wasn't expecting to hear in Mementos of all places.

Skull shook his head in confusion, "The hell's this guy goin' on about?"

"Now that I have what's rightfully mine... I'm not going to let you take it away..." the Shadow declared. "Look... this is a winner-takes-all world. Come fight me and I'll show you what I mean!"

However, the fight was just as pathetic as was his big declaration. Joker immediately closed the gap, throat punched him, then wrapped his grappling hook around his neck. Choking him out until Nakanohara was tapping out and pleading for his life.

"I-I'm sorry..." Nakanohara choked out between laboured breaths. "Please forgive me..."

"Looks like I win," Joker smirked.

"I-I just couldn't stop obsessing... N-Not after the person I trusted used me and then disposed of me."

"You're talking about Madarame, right?"

The Shadow nodded, "I... was afraid of being thrown away again like some worthless thing."

"So some selfish bastard was making you suffer too..." surmised Panther.

It made her pity the man before her, however, that didn't mean she could let what he was doing slide.

"Still, you shouldn't have dragged an unrelated woman into your mess," she scolded.

"I'll put an end to my love for her..." Nakanohara promised, but as his Shadow was disappearing he said something that Joker found interesting. "You guys can change people's hearts, right? In that case... Won't you change Madarame's heart!? Before more people fall victim to him..."

Nakanohara's shadow disappeared, leaving behind the bud of a Treasure. If left unchecked, it could've very well have blossomed into a Palace. Luckily, the Thieves were able to prevent that from happening.

"So Nakanohara had a change of heart, right?" asked Skull.

"Most likely," Mona hummed.

"But how are we supposed to know if we succeeded?" questioned Panther.

"The lady posted the dude's name online. If he really does change, she'll prolly comment again," Skull wagered.

It was enough of an answer to satisfy her.

"Still, it's good to give courage to people who post their problems online," Panther admitted with a giggle.

"And it's a good trainin' ground!" added Skull. "Perfect prep for our next Palace! Whaddya guys think? Should we call it for today?"

"Hold on," spoke up Mona. "There's somewhere I want to show you guys before we leave."

"Wait, there's more!?"

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The phantom thieves descended to next floor, and the atmosphere felt even more eerie than when they first descended.

"...What is this place?" asked Panther once they reached the front of some pulsating door. "It's kinda creepy."

"And a dead end at that. Why does it even exist!?" complained Skull, scratching his head in annoyance.

Mona motioned the three closer, "Now hold on... Just watch."

Once Mona placed his hand on the wall, the entire floor shook, and then the door opened.

"A new area has been confirmed in the depths. Updating guidance information," jingled the Nav.

"It's just as I thought!" Mona exclaimed proudly.

"What do you mean?" Panther queried.

"It means there's a lot more to this place than originally anticipated," Joker deduced.

Mona nodded his assent, "Correct. Now that Kamoshida's Palace is gone and people are starting to talk about us... I knew something had to have changed down here."

"How deep is it?" mused Panther before looking over at Joker. "Should we try going further down?"

He shook his head, "Not today. Our business here has concluded for now."

"Okay, let's head home."

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"Mementos, huh? I still don't really get that place," Ryuji confessed. "And who was that weird kid anyways?"

Ann shrugged, "I'm not really sure, but he seems innocent enough. After all, he called me, 'pretty lady'. Hehe."

Ryuji sighed and frowned, "That's all that stuck? For real?"

Morgana looked like his entire world was being torn in front of him, "Lady Ann..."

Before the group managed to return to the real world, they encountered some strange kid named Jose. Someone who'd trade them valuables in exchange for flowers. Why flowers? Cause it would help him study humans. A statement that made Akira very curious about Jose's origins and intentions. For now though, he would have to be content with their vendor/client relationship.

Ann rolled her eyes at the two boys, "More importantly, why are you so fixated on going to the depths of Mementos, Morgana?"

"I need to know what lies in the depths of Mementos, no matter what," he said gravely.

"No matter what?" she repeated.

"Mementos is not just everyone's Palace, it's the source of all Palaces. It used to be that Palaces like Kamoshida's with one ruler simply didn't exist. So, if we can do something about the greatest cause of distortions, I'm certain my appearance will..." his voice then trailed off.

"You wanted someone to save you too..." Ann inferred.

"I-I just needed pawns," Morgana stuttered after being called out like that.

Ryuji nodded beginning to understand at least something in today's endeavour, "I see... So that's why you came pokin' your nose around with us."

"...I'll help you," said Ann after a moments thought. "I hope you can regain what you've lost."

Morgana cleared his throat, desperate for a change of subject, "First you need to find a way to get through your exams."

Ryuji's expression immediately turned crestfallen, "I gotta study..."

"On that note, why don't we go home? It's pretty late... and I need to study too..." suggested Ann.

"Are you that excited to study? Y'know you're just gonna fail anyways..."

Ann puffed her cheeks, "Hey! That's uncalled for!"

Ryuji lazily waved goodbye as he slumped towards his platform, "Yeah, yeah. See ya later Miss, 'I take school seriously'."

**Still, he didn't have to put it like that!**

"Mind if I walk you home, Takamaki?" Akira asked amidst her inner rambling.

"Huh? Me?"

It wasn't like him to ask her, usually it was the other way around.

He offered her his arm, "Ready?"

Her cheeks reddened as she wrapped her arm around his, silently giving him the go ahead. Whatever the reason, she'd be crazy to pass up such an opportunity, and decided not to question it. What she didn't notice though, was the stare Akira was giving to the person that had been eyeing her for the last ten minutes. Akira had felt eyes on them, but then realized after sneaking a glance at who it was that it was only Ann that he was looking at.

Taking recent events into account, Akira felt it best to take action. He first decided to see what would happen if he saw the two of them together in a setting that would suggest they're dating. Typically, when a man sees another man and woman together in such a way they immediately back off, however, it seemed like that didn't phase this stalker. He was still keeping pace behind them.

_Hmm... guess we'll just have to lose him in the crowd. Granted, Ann stands out too much._

An idea came to mind. It was risky, but then again, when were his plans not?

"Hey, Ann."

She looked up at him with a bright smile, "Yes, Akira?"

"Do you trust me?"

Her expression turned quizzical, "Why do you ask? Of course I- whoa!"

Akira pulled her behind one of the support columns, and before she could even comprehend what was going on, Akira's face was mere millimeters from hers.

"A-Akira! What's-"

He silenced her with his index finger over her lips, something that she was quickly finding was gonna drive her insane. It was the school hallway all over again, and that ache from then had returned with full force. Was Ann going to let opportunity pass her by again? Those feelings that she's kept a tight lid on, why was she holding back anyways? Ann's never felt so... strongly about someone before, but perhaps that was the answer why.

Fear.

Fear of what would happen if she let everything out. Yet, there was something... or maybe someone telling her in the back of her mind that there was nothing wrong with having fear, but instead, refusing to act because of it.

Ann had spent her entire life backing down because of fear, because of uncertainty, because of change. How could she call herself a Phantom Thief if she couldn't deal with what was going on with her own heart?

Ann wrapped her arms around Akira's neck, and slowly closed the gap between them. She was acting on pure instinct now, and that instinct was demanding that she open the proverbial lid, and face the music.

"Takamaki? Ann?"

His calls fell on deaf ears.

This was bad. She had him totally pinned, there was nowhere for him to go.

_At this rate..._

This was something that Ann needed to do, because she was certain that doing this would give her the answers she has been desperately searching for.

Her voice was as soft as silk when she spoke, "Akira..."

She tilted her chin up, meeting his steely eyes with her fluttering ceruleans. It was all or nothing now, she just needed to go for it while she still had the courage.

"I..."

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A/N: So... I realize what I've done, and I'm not sorry.


End file.
